


You tries to pick up girls in MMOs

by AleneShazam



Series: Immortal Legends [1]
Category: Love Live! School Idol Project, Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Ace Athlete You, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Fluff, Gamer Yoshiko, Mild Hurt/Comfort, i love YouHane guys, i love it with my life, there's a lot of onesided relationships to start with
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-15
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-10-19 07:13:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 42,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10634901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AleneShazam/pseuds/AleneShazam
Summary: Specifically, one certain fallen angel Yohane.In a world where Chika never fell in love with idols, You could devote all of her time into diving and swimming, and is easily in the top 10 of popularity in school because of her athletic success. But when she encounters a strange fallen angel RPer in an MMORPG recommended by Chika, her life takes a turn for the bizarre. And all the while, You fights to contain her affections for her childhood friend, but she feels herself slipping more by the day...YouHane! AU where school idols aren't a thing, You is an ace athlete and Yoshiko is a loser.





	1. Ace Athlete Watanabe

**Author's Note:**

> Follow my tumblr for updates, art, requests, and more! (<https://worldofoasis.tumblr.com/>)

Watanabe You’s life used to be a simple one. She swam. She dove. She played with Chika and Kanan. Then middle school rolled around, and she was catapulted into stardom - relative stardom, for the lazy little town of Uchiura - when she found herself qualifying for the national diving team. In a small town where not much of anything happened, and where most children could swim sooner than they could walk, You distinguished herself with her ability to high-dive and swim like nobody else.  
  
The initial rage died down after a while, and middle school seemed not so different than her younger childhood, spent with Chika (but not so much Kanan anymore), except a little more popular. Then high school came around, and it was a whole other beast entirely. It felt like a whole new stage of life. They were older but not old enough, bodies growing too quickly for their minds to catch up, stepping into the most turbulent part of their growth.  
  
Popularity, You found, was paramount in this new period of their life. The occasional comments and compliments from middle school turned into near constant fawning, and she found herself invited to this event and that, her attention hotly competed over by all manner of students and clubs. Good athletes were dime a dozen in Uchiura, where there wasn’t anything better to do than to play outside, but athletes of You’s calibre was a rare commodity, sought after even by clubs that weren’t swimming related.  
  
So the first year passed in relative peace. There were ups and there were downs. You got serviceable grades, and copious amounts of medals. Life was good.  
  
Soon enough the second year came.  
  
“It’s the Ace…” “…There she is…” “…The Ace, Watanabe You…”  
  
You resolutely tried to ignore the awed murmurs bubbling up among the first years as she made her way through the courtyard of Uranohoshi Girls High School. It was a few weeks into the new school year, but the new students were still settling into the school setting and familiarizing themselves with the notable things about school.  
  
To You’s abject horror, over the course of spring break someone had the bright idea to call her ‘The Ace’, a name which circulated quickly amongst the younger girls of Uchiura.  
  
“This has to be the second most embarrassing thing I’ve had to live through,” You muttered to Chika, who was strolling brightly next to her, in stark contrast to You’s head-down-hunched-over routine. Chika tilted her head, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “What’s the first?”  
  
You felt a blush spread across her face as she watched Chika, the horrid memory resurfacing with a grimace. “Has to be the time my swimsuit broke mid-dive, right?”  
  
It was during the inter-school meet, no less, and all the diving teams in the region (and their supporters) were there to witness the glory of You’s unbound chest. It made her want to scream every time she recalled the memory, even if she won the meet in the end.  
  
“Oh, I dunno,” Chika’s grin widened. “I’m sure every fangirl in the stands that day had no qualms with it at all.”  
  
“Chika!” You’s blush deepened, and she cuffed her on the ear, causing Chika to duck away after the first hit. “Stop it!”  
  
“Make me!” Chika laughed and danced out of range of the next swipe, leaning back and giving You an energetic smile that made You’s heart skip a beat. “Come on, ‘Ace’, we’re gonna be late if you don’t pick up your pace!”  
  
Which was rich, because Chika was the one who had to get out of bed three times because she kept falling back to sleep, causing them to depart for school ten minutes later than normal. You was perfectly on time to Chika’s place. Rather than debating that point, however, You simply shook her head in exasperation, even overlooking her calling You ‘Ace’. Somehow, if it was Chika saying it, You felt like it wasn’t that bad of a name after all.  
  
The pair eventually made it to class just as the register started, so they got off with just a warning. Most teachers tend to be laxer on You anyway, though Chika was another matter entirely. The legendary Takami late streak was a time-honored and unbroken record in the family that Chika made sure to uphold at least once per week, resulting in a reputation for being a slacker. Which, to be fair, wasn't far off from the truth.  
  
The classes they had that morning were English, math, and history, none of which particularly interested You. Nor Chika, judging by her napping through most of math and history. You wouldn’t call herself particularly academic - her grades were so-so, and with club activities and training taking up most of her time, she didn’t have the spare effort to bring her grades higher anyhow. So most of the time she just spaced out during classes and caught up on notes afterwards.  
  
She only snapped back to reality when she heard the lunch bell go off, and the class was dismissed. You stretched in her seat, watching the teacher pack up and leave in a hurry - sometimes she suspected that the history teacher didn’t even like her job, judging by the speed at which she always concluded lessons. Turning to Chika, who sat behind her, she took aim and gave the snoozing girl a solid flick on the forehead.  
  
“Guh!” Chika made an undignified noise, her head snapping back in an exaggerated reaction to You’s jab. She flailed for a moment before regaining control of her faculties, and stopped, looking around for a moment. “Ah, is class over already?”  
  
“It is, dummy.” You rolled her eyes as Chika yawned and stretched out, rubbing tiredly at her eyes. “In fact it’s already been five minutes into lunch.”  
  
“Mmm…” Chika smacked her lips, still working the sleep out of her system. “You, did you bring the lunch boxes…?”  
  
Every morning You went to Chika’s house, which was on the way to school, firstly to make sure Chika was awake and ready to go to school, secondly to pick up her lunch box, prepared by Chika’s mom. It’s always been that way, for as long as she could remember.  
  
“You know, she’s your mom, not mine. Why can’t you just get the lunch yourself?” You grumbled, though she lifted two lunch boxes up from her bag and set them on the table. One blue, one orange, color-coded for convenience. “Where are we going to eat them today? Courtyard? By the statue?”  
  
Chika mulled the suggestions over, her face still glued to the desk. “The courtyard is too busy…”  
  
Which was true. It had a nice atmosphere, but with You’s popularity the two of them would be swamped by adoring fans in an instant.  
  
“The statue is surrounded by gross couples…”  
  
You blushed. Also true, there was something about the locale that attracted couples to it like moths to a fire. Part of the reason why she suggested it, but moving on.  
  
“…Besides, I’m tired… can’t we just have it here?” Chika mumbled, lazily putting up her index finger, pointing at the classroom. “It’s convenient.”  
  
“Usually you’d be jumping to have lunch somewhere new.” You looked oddly at Chika. She was acting a lot more lethargic than normal… “Are you sick? Did you not get enough sleep?”  
  
“Just a little…” You sighed at Chika’s vague response, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “When did you sleep, Chika?”  
  
“Uh…” Chika drifted off into silence for a while. “…Three?”  
  
“Three… A.M.?!” You blanched. That late? It was a wonder Chika could even get up, let alone get to school on time! “What the heck were you doing up at three in the morning?”  
  
“Eheheh… well…” Chika laughed nervously, edging away from You slightly. “Playing… a video game…?”  
  
“You were gaming? Until three?!” You glared at her. There was a limit to irresponsibility, and Chika was almost crossing the line considering how poorly she did at school normally. Chika being this functional after gaming until three was nothing short of a miracle.  
  
“Well… yeah?” Chika tried to laugh it off, but quickly fell silent when You’s look of annoyance persisted. Folding her arms in front of her chest, Chika looked away shiftily, avoiding eye contact with You. “T-To be fair, it’s a really fun game. Like, it’s actually amazing.”  
  
“Is it, now?” You raised an eyebrow.  
  
“It is!” And suddenly Chika was excited, nodding her head enthusiastically. “In fact, I’ll send you a link when I get home! You should try it! It’s great!  
  
“Well— I guess?” You blinked at Chika’s sudden enthusiasm. Oh well- at least she wasn’t lazing about anymore. “But seriously. Lunch. I don’t want to mess up my desk… how about the roof? Not many people go there, I don’t think.”  
  
“Okay!” Chika said brightly, jumping up to her feet. You sighed again, smiling in bemusement. At least Chika was back to normal. “Come on, slowpoke! Lunch’ll be over by the time we start eating!”  
  
“And who’s fault would that be, I wonder…” You sighed as she picked up her lunch box and followed Chika out of the classroom.  
  
As per usual, the duo of Chika and You attracted many glances their way, alongside the regular hushed comments.  
  
“Why is that plain girl with Watanabe…” “Who is she anyway? Looks boring…” “I wish I could eat lunch with the Ace…”  
  
You grimaced. It was always like this. Somehow they had decided that Chika, a girl they probably never spoke to in their entire life, was boring, and just like that she wasn’t worthy of eating with You. It made You sick to the pits of her stomach. Chika knew it did, too, and often she was the only thing stopping You from giving Chika’s detractors a piece of her mind. And possibly her fists. And possibly a grapple and a throw because You knew a little bit of Judo.  
  
“Don’t mind them,” Chika said, breezily. “Sticks and stones, You. Sticks and stones.”  
  
“It just… pisses me off. They don’t even know how great you are.”  
  
It always infuriated You how they regarded Chika with so little respect, like just because she wasn’t a star athlete like You that she was somehow completely unimportant. And it infuriated You how Chika never did anything about it, always sweeping the insults and vitriol under the rug with a smile and a shrug.  
  
“It doesn’t really matter.” Chika smiled, grabbing You by the wrist and pulling her along quickly, out of earshot of the muttering and the crowds. “I’m happy you think that way, but it’s not a fight worth fighting, you know?”  
  
You clenched her fist, then unclenched it when Chika squeezed her wrist, the tension melting from her limb. “I just hate it when people say bad things about you.” She muttered, glancing up at Chika. “Cuz you’re such an amazing person.”  
  
Immediately she blushed from what she had said, and clapped a hand over her mouth so she would stop blabbing and say something she’d regret.  Instead she quietly let herself be pulled along, up the stairs to the roof.  
  
Coming out of the building, You was blinded momentarily by the bright sunlight — it was one of the reasons why people didn’t eat on the roof. It wasn’t as comfortable as other places might be. But with an omni-present breeze and a perfect view, it honestly wasn’t a bad place to eat, either. You withheld a giddy smile at the thought of her and Chika eating together, the two of them alone, in a place like this.  
  
Except, they weren’t alone. Someone was already there.  
  
A pale girl, with long, dark blue hair, was sitting in a corner, her dull rosy eyes glued to the screen of the laptop in front of her. She was a first year, judging by her uniform, so it made sense that You didn’t know who she was, but even more than that, it felt like You had never even seen her around school before.  
  
You stared at her for a while, not sure what to make of her. Every so often the girl’s hand would move from the laptop to a bento box next to her, lifting some small amount of food to her mouth then quickly return to the laptop. She seemed completely unconcerned with the two people who had arrived on the rooftop, continuing to tap away at her laptop.  
  
You glanced at Chika, who was setting up her lunch in an opposite corner. “Come on, You, what’re you waiting for?”  
  
“Coming.” You gave the girl one last look before joining Chika, sitting down next to her and pulling out her own lunch. As she unwrapped the sandwich prepared for her, she searched for a topic to chat with Chika about, eventually deciding to continue the previous conversation topic. “So… Chika, what’s the game you were playing last night about?”  
  
“Oh! Immortal Legend!” Chika’s eyes shone again, and You had the niggling sensation that she had opened up Pandora’s Box. “Well, you see, it’s a fantasy MMORPG. It’s centered around a war between Heaven and Hell, and players can pick sides between angels and devils - I’m an angel, by the way - and fight for dominance of the mortal world.”  
  
“Uh huh. Sounds, um…” Generic. “Interesting.”  
  
“Right?!” Chika beamed, and You for some reason found herself a little jealous. Chika was never that enthusiastic about You. Then she blinked. She was jealous. Of a video game. Get a grip, Watanabe.  
  
“Oh, but the major charm point is the character creation, and the unique combat system. See, they have this new customization engine that lets you create practically any appearance, down to designing your own hairstyle! And the combat - you can chain together your own combos from a wide range of melee and magical attacks, creating your very own custom combat styles…”  
  
You, not nearly as avid a gamer as Chika, slowly tuned her friend out as Chika rambled on and on about invincibility frames and spamming R1. Looking to one side, You almost choked on her sandwich when she noticed the girl in the corner staring straight at them, a scarily intense expression on her face. Her eyes seemed like they would burn holes into Chika’s head with how focused the girl was.  
  
She almost looked like a doll, from a distance, with her slim frame and delicate features, especially with her flat lifeless eyes and porcelain skin. There was an otherworldly aura to her, like she didn’t quite mesh with the air around her. She definitely didn’t feel like she belonged with the rest of the students at Ura Girls High.  
  
You found herself getting increasingly distracted, until she felt a sharp jab in her side, prompting her to turn around, finding Chika right in her face, barely centimeters away. Immediately she blushed bright red, and fell backwards with an undignified squeak.  
  
“What’re you looking at?” Chika grinned cheekily, following You’s gaze to the girl, who seemed to have lost interest in them and returned her attention to the laptop. She gasped, and with a broad grin, she turned towards You. “Oh _my_ ~ You, have you got a crush~?”  
  
“What!” You squeaked, shaking her head vigorously. “No, I just… she was looking at us.”  
  
Chika snickered mischievously. “Sure she was.”  
  
“Chika!” You glared at her, her face bright red. Her voice was an octave higher than usual. “Cut it out!”  
  
Abruptly, the strange first year stood up, snapping her laptop shut and walking towards the rooftop door. You and Chika stopped their shenanigans, watching her leave. As the door shut behind her, Chika glanced at You. “Your crush is kinda weird.”  
  
“She’s not my crush!” You cried, trying to ignore the screaming in her head that _Chika_ was her crush. Sitting up properly, she cleared her throat, recovering some of her composure. “Anyway, Chika, do you know who she is?”  
  
“Not a clue!” Chika said. “I don’t really know that many first years.”  
  
“Hmm,” You hummed, staring at where the girl sat. “Oh… she left her lunchbox behind.”  
  
Standing up, she ran over to the corner and picked up the box, looking it over for a name.  
  
“You can probably still catch her if you run,” Chika commented, walking up behind her. “I can pack up here. You can go return the box.”  
  
“Cool. Thanks, Chika!” You gave her a grin before she took off, charging down the stairs. Running down the stairs was technically against the rules, but You could get away with it, mostly. True enough to Chika’s prediction, the girl was still slowly winding her way down the stairs.  
  
“Hey! Excuse me, you left your lunch box!” You yelled down the stairwell, and the girl stopped, turning to look up at her with a strange expression on her face. Was it surprise? You could swear that she looked almost afraid, for whatever reason.  
  
Stopping in front of her, You held  up the lunchbox awkwardly, scratching the back of her head. “Uh. The box says your name is, um…” She checked the box label again. “…Tsushima Yoshiko?”  
  
“My name is Yohan- _ngh_ …” The girl flinched, gritting her teeth. “—Yoshiko. yes.”  
  
“You left your box.”  
  
“Um. Right.” Yoshiko took the box in her hands. “Thanks. Uh, Watanabe.”  
  
She nodded awkwardly, and after lingering for a moment longer, turned away and ran down the flights of stairs, practically fleeing, and disappearing out of sight.  
  
“Yoshiko.” You repeated under her breath, staring at the spot where Yoshiko was for a moment before heading back to the rooftop, her mind preoccupied by a porcelain girl, with raven hair, and rosy eyes.  
  
“How’s your girlfriend?”  
  
“Shut up, Chika.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Doesn't Ace Athlete Watanabe sound like a Pokémon trainer name?


	2. Enter the Angel(s)

> _ChikaChika: tsushima yoshiko???_  
>    
>  _Yousoro: Do you recognize that name?_  
>    
>  _ChikaChika: hmm… gotta check…_  
>    
>  _ChikaChika: all the first years i know say she’s weird._  
>    
>  _Yousoro: Weird how?_  
>    
>  _ChikaChika: i don’t know how much of this is accurate but they say she’s a loner_  
>    
>  _ChikaChika: and she’s kinda weird to people she talks to, like she makes them uncomfortable_  
>    
>  _Yousoro: Are you sure they aren’t just being mean?_  
>    
>  _ChikaChika: well she gets in trouble a lot too. at least it’s what i heard. she’s not really popular_  
>    
>  _Yousoro: I see…_

You sighed, burying her face into a pillow. She was lying on her belly on her bed, her laptop set up in front of her, her dim bedside lamp the only source of light other than the screen of her laptop.  
  
Ever since she returned the lunchbox to Tsushima Yoshiko, she couldn’t get the girl out of her head. She kept thinking back to how she reacted to You calling out to her, the mixture of shock and fear in her expression. Like she didn’t expect anyone to call to her. Like she was afraid of You, for some reason.  
  
Her laptop pinged, and You looked up sharply. Her character avatar was being attacked by some renegade imps, and she quickly responded in kind, unleashing a combo of sword-swipes and fireballs. You’s character was some manner of pyromancer - she really liked how powerful the fire magics were in the game, and demons had a bonus to fire magics anyway - but she also invested a few points into sword skills for melee combat.  
  
You was reluctant to admit it, but Chika was right when she said Immortal Legends was ‘actually amazing’. It seemed generic at first, but the mechanics were well polished and the player base was friendly as well. She had a blast going through the tutorial campaign, and was just starting with the beginner quests.  
  
Thanks to the character creation system, You’s character actually looked like You herself - except with devil’s wings and horns, because she chose to play as the Hell faction. She discovered, through Chika, that Kanan played occasionally as well, and she played an angel. Naturally, it meant You had to play Hell, because anything Kanan could do, You at least had to try to one up her. Old rivalries die hard. 

> _ChikaChika: are you done with the basic quests???_  
>    
>  _Yousoro: Yeah, I’m leaving the starting area to the main map._  
>    
>  _ChikaChika: cool!! the game really picks up after that_

You smiled, glad that Chika didn’t get mad at her for picking the opposite side. She knew Chika wasn’t that kind of person anyway, but she was happy that Chika wasn’t annoyed at her for not being able to play together. She crackled her knuckles, ready to face whatever the game threw at her.  
  
As soon as she dropped into the main town for the Hell faction, however, instead of whatever the hell the game was going to throw at her, she received a message from a player.

> _FallenAngelYohane: Greetings, little demon. Welcome to Hell._

Little demon, huh. You raised an eyebrow. It wasn’t anyone in the starting zone. They probably sent the message over the area map. Pulling up the map for the whole town, You started running her character across the town, while scanning the map for the character name.  
  
“FallenAngelYohane…” She muttered to herself. Why did that name sound so familiar? No one she knew had a name like that - it sounded like a twelve year old came up with it or something. Shaking her head, she continued her search, finally coming across the name on the map. The character was standing in the center of the town, in front of a hellfire and brimstone fountain.  
  
As soon as the zone loaded, You found herself face to face with an actual angel. Or rather, her character found herself face to face with an angel. Whoever FallenAngelYohane was, their avatar was designed to meticulous detail, a beautiful woman complete with massive flowing wings of shadow and a black halo. Without a doubt, that was a fallen angel.  
  
Scanning over FallenAngelYohane’s character details, You found herself surprised again - the character was level 99. According to Chika, that was the level cap, and it literally took years to get to. Here was a dedicated veteran, for some reason wasting their time greeting new players who dropped by the main town. Did they not have better things to do with their time? Confused, You typed out a quick response.

> _Yousoro: Hi._  
>    
>  _Yousoro: Um, who are you?_  
>    
>  _FallenAngelYohane: I am Yohane, a fallen angel, and queen of Hell. I formally welcome you, little demon, to the legions of hell._

You blinked. This was one of those… RPers, that Chika talked about, right? They talked like their characters would in the game, like they were their character. Whoever this Yohane was, they obviously were in-character.  
  
Well, in that case, You might as well refer to Yohane as a her. Biting her lip, You continued to type into the chat,

> _Yousoro: Do you greet all the newcomers to the town?_  
>    
>  _FallenAngelYohane: Not everyone. Yohane is a busy woman, after all. But I come to greet newcomers, sometimes._  
>    
>  _Yousoro: I see…_  
>    
>  _Yousoro: If you don’t mind me asking, how long have you been playing? You’re pretty high level._

You wasn’t sure if she should mention levels and such to a RPer. She sent the message regardless, waiting to see Yohane’s response.

> _FallenAngelYohane: I have reigned for well over two years, now._

You couldn’t imagine playing a game for two years. She barely had time for that, not with her swimming and diving. Switching back to her chatlog with Chika, she started to type quickly.

> _Yousoro: There’s a weird high level RPer in the main town._  
>    
>  _ChikaChika: there’s always one isn’t there??? lol_  
>    
>  _ChikaChika: who is it??_  
>    
>  _Yousoro: Someone who calls themselves Yohane._  
>    
>  _ChikaChika: what!!! FallenAngelYohane??!!_  
>    
>  _ChikaChika: she’s a legend!!_

Surprised by Chika’s quick (and excited) response, You called up a browser window and typed FallenAngelYohane into the search bar. A few scrolls and clicks later, and You was even more perplexed. Just as Chika had said, Yohane was a legend. She was famous for being one of the most dedicated players in Immortal Legends, racking up an unbroken daily log-in streak since her registering her account, as well as being one of the strongest Hell players in the Japanese servers, being fully armed in legendary equipment alongside being fully leveled. But most notably, she was known for being an avid RPer, never breaking character once in her entire career. And somehow she remained an effective commander and leader during dungeon raids and boss battles.  
  
If she didn’t qualify for legendary player, no one did. Yet, no one knew their real life identity. Most of the top tier players were known in real life as professional gamers, but Yohane’s identity was a mystery.  
  
“What the Hell…” You breathed, as she read through Yohane’s more than impressive history. This was a celebrity, in a sense. Well, in Uchiura, You was one too - but Yohane was different. An actual celebrity, not just a girl in a lazy town out on the coast. Her name was in gaming magazines in Tokyo.  
  
You gulped, tabbing back into the game. She groaned when she realized that she missed messages from both Chika and Yohane.

> _ChikaChika: can you get me an autograph??!!_  
>    
>  _Yousoro: Uh… maybe?_  
>    
>  _ChikaChika: omg thank youuu <3 <3_

You’s face felt warm as she read the message, her eyes lingering on the heart emojis. Chika didn’t mean it that way, You was sure, but it didn’t stop her from getting a faint blush at the idea. Shaking her head clear, You checked back on her chat with Yohane.

> _FallenAngelYohane: Do you require any assistance, little demon?_  
>    
>  _FallenAngelYohane: I happen to have some time to spare. Maybe I can lend my strength._  
>    
>  _Yousoro: Oh!_  
>    
>  _Yousoro: That would be very appreciated!_

Despite all the crap she gave Chika for not sleeping enough, she pulled an all-nighter farming for experience. Chika logged off sometime in between, telling You to go to sleep, and You vaguely remembered another couple of hours of playing after that.  
  
She woke up groggily to the sound of her alarm clock, completely out of it and lethargic. Her eyes felt sticky. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she groaned when she realized she had left the laptop on her bed all night. The screen was still on, and the game was still running. Her dad would kill her if he found out. Her character wasn’t where she remembered her to be - instead of out in the middle of a combat zone, she was now in a safe zone. Yohane was nowhere to be seen, but she had left quite a few messages for her. You blushed in embarrassment, realizing that she probably left Yohane hanging when she fell asleep.

> _FallenAngelYohane: The next area is perfect for training._  
>    
>  _FallenAngelYohane: Another few days and you’ll become strong enough to take on the second level of Hell._  
>    
>  _FallenAngelYohane: …Yousoro?_  
>    
>  _FallenAngelYohane: …Fallen asleep?_  
>    
>  _FallenAngelYohane: Well, I can’t blame you for over-exhausting yourself on the first day._  
>    
>  _FallenAngelYohane: I’ll move you over to a safe area where you can rest easy._  
>    
>  _FallenAngelYohane: Sweet dreams, little demon ;)_

You sighed. She probably made a fool of herself in front of Yohane. It was just a game, so You wasn’t all that bothered, but she still felt a little embarrassed that someone literally watched her sleep, even if only in a game. Still, as she was grateful that Yohane moved her somewhere safe, she quickly typed out a message seeing that Yohane was somehow still online.

> _Yousoro: Thanks for taking care of me, I fell asleep accidentally…_  
>    
>  _FallenAngelYohane: No need to thank me. I always help my demon subjects._  
>    
>  _Yousoro: I need to go to school now but hopefully I’ll see you later?_  
>    
>  _FallenAngelYohane: See you later, Yousoro. I’ll be around, always._

Something told You that Yohane wasn’t exaggerating when she said she was around, always. Combing a hand through her hair, she sat up and went through the paces of getting to school - putting on her uniform, grabbing breakfast off the table downstairs and running out the door to catch the bus, which was just going past her house. The driver always stopped a little in front of her house in case she was late. Small town fame had its perks. Settling down near the back of the bus, where she always sat, she sighed and mentally psyched herself up to make up for the fact that she had only two or so hours of sleep because she was irresponsible and dumb.  
  
To her surprise, Chika was already waiting at the station when the bus pulled around, looking bright and bubbly and ready to face the day. Her dumb (adorable) ahoge antenna seemed to twitch with excitement as she waved enthusiastically when she spotted You on the bus. “You! Good morning!”  
  
“Yousoro!” The sight of Chika alone brought a silly grin to You’s face, and she brought her hand up in her trademark salute. As Chika sidled up next to her on the bus, You turned to her, raising an eyebrow when she noted, “You’re looking chipper today. What’s up?”  
  
“Oh, the nice lady who just moved in next door dropped by for a visit,” Chika said, pointing back at the house next to the Tochiman inn. “She’s from Tokyo. Bought us some cake, actually,” Chika grinned.  
  
“Greedy guts,” You teased, poking at Chika’s belly, though she frowned when she detected a definite wobble. Looking at her again, You really could see that compared to her own toned form, Chika had a definite pudge to her. Not too much, Chika was still by and large a normal looking pretty girl, but it was clear all the mikan was going to her belly and thighs. “You know, you might want to get back to exercising. Remember when we used to go swimming together? It’ll get you right back into shape.”  
  
“Are you calling me fat?” Chika pouted, but when You didn’t immediately respond the look of mock indignation shifted to mild surprise. “Aw, really? Kanan is going to kill me… She warned me about eating too much mikan over winter.”  
  
"Ah, no, I mean, um... It's not that bad..." Seeing Chika looking a little upset about that, You quickly rectified her statement, putting her hands on Chika's shoulders. What was she doing?  
  
Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, gave herself up to God, and said, "You're-the-prettiest-girl-in-this-whole-town-and-I-don't-think-you-have-to-worry-about-being-chubby-it-just-makes-you-cuter."  
  
“Eh?” Chika stared blankly at You for a moment. You’s heart almost stopped. Too forward? You was totally too obvious, wasn’t she? Chika was going to think she was weird. You blew it, everything was over and You had ruined her chances with Chika, 100%. Nice job blowing it, Watanabe.  
  
Thankfully, far away from the disaster that You had envisioned, Chika simply cracked a smile and patted You on her head, probably causing You’s cheeks to flare bright scarlet. “This is what Kanan means when she says you  always spoil me, huh,” Chika chuckled. “It’s okay to tell me to exercise. I probably should, anyway.”  
  
“Kanan said that?” You frowned. She didn’t think Kanan had picked up on her feelings for Chika. Then again, it had been a while since You and Chika went to hang out with her, what with her being busy with the shop. “Also, no, really. I think you look, uh, you look great just the way you are.”  
  
“Aw, gee, You,” Chika grinned, punching You jovially on the shoulder. “You’ll make me blush, girl! Cut it out with the jokes~”  
  
“I was serious but okay…” You muttered quietly, not loud enough for Chika to hear. Inwardly, she was both thankful for and frustrated about Chika's overwhelming obliviousness towards her feelings, sighing slightly before straightening up and resuming at a normal volume: “So… you’ve got new neighbors, then? Any kids?”  
  
“Apparently she has a daughter.” Chika recalled, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “I wonder what she looks like. Actually, I wonder if she goes to our school?”  
  
“It’s not like she has a choice,” You said, leaning back into the seat. Glancing out the window, Ura Girls rolled into view atop the hill in the distance, the old schoolhouse sad looking in the morning light. It was representative of Uchiura in many ways - unremarkable other than for sentimental value.  
  
“Well, she could go to Numazu… but I guess, yeah.” Chika hummed.  
  
You nodded slightly at Chika’s words, grabbing her bag as the bus rolled up to their stop, at the base of the slope leading up to the school. “Ura Girls!” the driver called out.  
  
Hopping off the bus, You and Chika started ambling up the slope towards the school. “But really, it would be cool if she came to our school,” Chika commented, turning to You. “It’s been a while since we had new students.”  
  
You shrugged noncommittally. She didn’t really mind that much, since she only really hung out with Chika unless she had club and such, but it would be interesting to have new students at school. They might even be friends if she lived near Chika, they would probably see each other in the morning and share some classes. “Sounds good.”  
  
As it turned out, they didn’t really need to speculate, because after their homeroom teacher finished doing the register, she cleared her throat and gestured at the door.  
  
“Students, quiet down, quiet down. As some of you might have heard, a new family just moved into town. Let’s introduce our transfer student. She’ll be attending our school starting today,” The teacher looked towards the door, and called out, “Miss Sakurauchi, you may come in.”  
  
The door opened, and there was a gasp as a veritable beauty walked into the classroom. She had long, silken hair, unblemished skin and soft features, walking with a quiet grace that You could only dream of.  
  
“Excuse me,” Her voice was soft and lyrical, and even if she sounded a little awkward and shy, there was almost a musical quality to it that made the whole class instinctively fall silent. “I transferred from Tokyo’s Otonokizaka High.”  
  
You glanced towards Chika, and what she saw made her blood freeze over. Chika had stars in her eyes as she stared at the new girl, mouth slightly agape in an expression that could only be described as awestruck. You reached out to her, but hesitated, and slowly put her hand down, glumly turning back at the transfer student.  
  
“I’m Sakurauchi Riko,” Riko bowed her head politely at the class, giving them all a small smile. “Nice to meet you.”

A wave of excited chattering went through the class as Riko was found a space by the homeroom teacher, but You didn't join in with the conversation. She was too busy trying to overlook the radiant smile on Chika's face, and the breathlessness in her voice when Chika joined in on the chatter.  
  
“A miracle…” You had never heard Chika speak like that before. Chika sounded faint, like she had seen a ghost. Or an angel. Her smile was so wide that her face might split apart, her eyes sparkling with dancing lights like radiant starry fireworks. She was happy - happier than she had ever been.  
  
And for the first time in her life, You didn't like that Chika was happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm experimenting with the messaging formatting - this is the first time I've used AO3 for posting so I'm still iffy on how it works. Please tell me if it's hard to read or bad on the eyes.
> 
> In other news, I imagine even if Chika isn't super popular she'd be more in tune with rumors than You, just because she's more approachable than Ace Athlete Watanabe.


	3. Build and Release

Days passed. As things settled down in the wake of Riko transferring over, You could almost believe that things were back to normal. She still got fawning looks from the juniors, and invitations to parties and other events from the seniors. She swam, dove, studied (a little). Immortal Legends became a fixture in her life, taking up a good hour or two (or three) every day. Everything was good. Riko’s introduction seemed but a ripple in the grand scheme of things.

But to You in this instant in time, it was anything but a ripple. It upended her life, or so she felt, watching as Chika and Riko chattered away happily about the fruit cart that would go past Chika’s house every day. _Chika and Riko’s houses_. You felt a twinge of envy recalling the moment when Chika, bright-eyed and gleeful, told her that she found out that Riko lived next door to her.

 _They’re neighbors, too._ You thought glumly to herself, though she kept up a veneer of polite interest in their conversation. She had gotten rather good at that over the past few days.

For some unfathomable reason ( _“You’re good with girls, Watanabe,”_ ) their homeroom teacher had assigned You as Riko’s buddy until she got used to life at Uchiura and Ura Girls. That meant wherever Riko went in school, You tagged along to make sure she was settling down okay.

Naturally, that meant Chika tagged along as well, because despite much protest from the ‘popular’ kids, Chika and You were inseparable. Normally this would be fine by You, any time spent with Chika was time well spent in her eyes, except Riko presented a minor complication in all this. To be specific, Chika and Riko’s unexpected compatibility. You supposed being both neighbors at home and neighbors at school had a hand in that, pushing them together.

Inevitably, after allowing her mind to wander free for a few minutes, her focus returned to the matters at hand, and she tuned back into Chika and Riko’s conversation.

“—So I thought that it might be a good idea,” Riko finished, looking and You. “What do you think, You?”

You blinked, her distracted mind unable to piece together what Riko was asking of her. “Wait… what? I was, um, distracted by something.”

Chika smirked and shook her head. “Oh, You. You’re always so scatterbrained…”

Chuckling at the irony of Chika saying that, You offered them an apologetic smile, laughing sheepishly. “Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking. About… something.”

“Something, uh?” Chika’s smirk widened, turning into a smug grin. You felt a chill go down her spine. “Is it your _girlfriend_ again?”

You winced. She had made a few more inquiries about Tsushima Yoshiko after that night when she started playing Immortal Legends, but she hadn’t been able to garner more information than what she’d already known the first time around - she wasn’t well liked by her classmates, and the reason for that was because of her eccentric and antisocial behaviour.

“She’s not my girlfriend!” You said, hotly. “Jeez, Chika, I told you before, I’m just curious!”

“Sure you are~” Chika said in a singsong voice, leaning out of range as You swung around for a quick jab at her. “Missed me!”  
  
“God, you’re so annoying, you… dumb mikan Chika!” You grumbled.

“Wow, rude.” Chika stuck out her tongue at You, but You didn’t feel like apologizing. Chika had latched onto her ‘crush’ on Tsushima and teased You endlessly about it. Given You’s… complicated feelings towards Chika, it wasn’t the most pleasant of situations.

“Whatever.” You pouted, looking away from Chika to Riko. “Sorry. What were we talking about before Chika so rudely interrupted us?”

“I’m sure Chika was just teasing you,” Riko put up her hands placatingly, giving You a small smile. Of course she would defend Chika. You wasn’t surprised. “I wanted to ask if you wanted to eat lunch together. We’re going to eat at the statue.”

A heartbeat passed as You grappled with a myriad of emotions that swelled and ebbed in an instant, her expression changing so quickly that she may as well be having a blank look on her face. Another heartbeat, and You was back to normal.

“Not today, I’m afraid.” You smiled apologetically, shaking her head. “I’ve got to go see someone. Club business, you know.”

“Oh,” Riko nodded understandingly. She’d seen firsthand how popular You was when they were swamped the first time she and You left the classroom together. “That’s fine. We can just eat with you some other time, then.”

“Yup,” You nodded again, bobbing her head awkwardly for a moment before standing up abruptly, the chair’s legs grinding against the ground. Flinching at the sound, You sighed before saying shortly, “…Bye.”

“Um…” Chika was caught off guard by how sudden You was, and by the time she waved her goodbye, You was already halfway out of the classroom. “…Bye?”

“…” Riko stared at where You was just a second ago. “Is she… always this abrupt?”

Chika shrugged noncommittally, instead opting to pull out her lunch box from her bag.

Outside the classroom, out of sight of Chika and Riko, You pressed her forehead against the wall, breathing in slowly. She needed to cool down, to be away from Chika or Riko before she said something she regretted. The careful facade she built up around Chika was faltering, pushed to the breaking point by this turn of events set into motion by Riko’s introduction.

“Damn it, Chika…” You choked out, feeling a faint heat in her eyes. She wasn’t crying. But she could feel something like it bubbling up from within her.

To eat at the statue was a romantic gesture. Riko couldn’t have known, she was barely here for a week, but Chika knew the rumors surrounding the statue. She knew and still agreed to it, and the implications of that terrified You. Things were accelerating, too quickly for You to follow. The world she was familiar with was crumbling before her very eyes, and she wasn’t sure if she could do anything to stop it.

Taking a deep breath, she shook her hear clear and followed the hallway to the stairs down to the courtyard. She needed fresh air, and talking to someone who wasn’t the subject of her crush and the possible crush of her crush would probably do her a world of good.

“Just… let it go. Full speed ahead,” You muttered to herself, putting her hand to her head in a weak salute. “Yousoro…”

The words felt hollow to her, but it helped raise her spirits, if only a little.

Dragging her feet down the steps, it wasn’t long before the hubbub of students at lunchtime reached her ears. You enjoyed the hustle of the school - in Uchiura, where you could walk streets without meeting another person, the schools and single shopping center were probably the most busy places you could find - those and the docks. It felt alive, and bustling nothing like the somewhat stifling serenity of greater Uchiura.

Breathing in the fresh spring air, feeling a breeze play across her cheeks, You already felt far better than a few minutes ago. The tightness in her chest eased, even if it was still there, and she felt her heartbeat gradually slow down. The tension in her muscles bled out, making her realize how tense she was before.

 _Get a grip, Watanabe._ She scolded herself, for the umpteenth time that week. You prided herself on her ability to act without hesitation. Agonizing over something like this wasn’t like her at all - what was wrong with her, that she couldn’t even understand her own emotions?

Her thoughts brewed in her mind like storm clouds, hanging dark and heavy over her. She was so distracted that she almost didn’t hear the sudden roar of a crowd and loud clattering of metal against concrete coming from somewhere in the school grounds, probably not far from where she was. Almost being the operative word. Wasting no time at all, You broke into a sprint in the direction of the noise. She needed something to take her mind off on.

“You guys should cut it out, zura!”

A clear voice rang out, followed by numerous jeers and hissing just as You rounded a corner to a more out-of-sight part of the school grounds. Sure enough, there was a sizable crowd of girls - all first years by the looks of them - shouting at two girls who were backed up against a wall. One You recognized immediately - Tsushima Yoshiko - and another she didn’t, a brown haired girl with golden eyes.

Yoshiko, worryingly, looked like she had fallen over or something, as her uniform was slightly dirtied and her hair was mussed up. Her eyes were red, like she was either close to tears or had been crying, and she clutched her laptop in her arms in a death grip, like her life depended on it. The other girl was standing in front of her, almost protectively, her arm held out to shield Yoshiko. It would have been cool, too, if she wasn’t a solid half-head shorter than Yoshiko.

One of the girls in the crowd - glitzed out and obviously the popular queen-bee type that You absolutely despised, stepped forward, her arms crossed and a sneer on her face. “You’re a good kid, Kunikida. Don’t make the mistake of siding with _her_ ,” she gestured at Yoshiko, “instead of us. You can still make the right choice.”

“I am not taking sides, zura.” Kunikida sniffed derisively at the queen-bee’s claim, immediately earning a few good points in You’s book. “I’m just stopping something wrong before it gets even worse.”

She paused, then added, “But if I was going to take sides, I wouldn’t take yours, Aoki.”

“Don’t play the goody two-shoes, Kunikida,” the lead girl, apparently called Aoki, snarled, making a sweeping gesture angrily with her hand. “We gave you a chance to back off. Now you’re just asking to be grouped in with the freak over there.”

Kunikida looked incredibly indignant for a moment, but before she could speak up, she was suddenly interrupted by Yoshiko, who growled, “It is I who you want to mock, leave her out of this!”

“Shut up, you weirdo.” Aoki snapped, causing Yoshiko to shrink back again, though the hostility was clear in her eyes. “Why do you speak like that anyway, do you think you came out of a video game or something?”

She sniffed, as though she’d seen something crawl out of the trash. “Gross.”

Yoshiko flinched at the remark, looking sullenly to one side, the fight suddenly leaving her. Kunikida looked at her worryingly for a moment, before turning back to Aoki angrily. “That was out of line, zura! You seriously should cut it out before you get it trouble!”

“You too, Kunikida. You don’t even know how to use a phone, why the Hell are you poking your nose into other people’s business?” Aoki spat, and Kunikida seemed to gasp at that, taking a step backwards. “You’re like some kind of country hick, you probably don’t even know how lights work…!”

As Kunikida looked like she was going to burst into tears, You decided that enough was enough.

“Alright you brats, break it up! Before I break you up personally!” She growled as she elbowed her way into the crowd. She didn’t threaten bodily harm a lot - she knew that with her physique, she could very well actually badly hurt someone - but if there was something she hated, it was bullying, and self-important, vain, spoiled brats, and both of those were on full display here.

“W-Watanabe You?” Aoki whirled around in surprise, her better-than-thou facade crumbling momentarily at the sight of someone higher up than her on the social hierarchy. This was also the reason why You kept up the effort of interacting with so many clubs and cliques - her social status was a tool to be leveraged.

“Yes, that is my name,” You narrowed her eyes at Aoki. Aoki was taller than You by a few centimeters, but as an almost-professional athlete, You had by far the more intimidating build, lithe and muscular in all the right places. “And you need to stop whatever the Hell you are doing here and scram.”

To her merit, Aoki actually met You’s harsh, angry gaze with equal measure, staring back confidently, though the slight, almost unnoticeable quaking in her legs betrayed her true emotions. “With all due respect, I don’t think you have the right to tell us to do anything,” She said, holding her voice steady.

“One, I am your senior, and two, you are obviously up to no good,” You hissed, taking a deliberate step towards Aoki, who shrank back in alarm. “I may not have _official_ authority, but I know I have the authority to tell brats like you to back off. Leave these girls alone.”

“What, the freak and the hick?” Aoki spat venomously, gesturing derisively at the two who now hid behind You. “Sure, be my guest and take them off my plate. Not like anyone else wants them.”

You might’ve bust a blood vessel in that moment.

“Apologize.” Her voice was deathly quiet, but it seemed to echo on its own, reverberating through the crowd.

“I’m sorry?” Aoki, who had turned to walk away, stopped and looked back at You.

“I said, apologize.” You said, glaring at Aoki. Her entire frame shook from anger, bubbling up as all of her frustrations rushed to the surface.

“Why should I apologize?” Aoki sneered, “It’s true.”

“You apologize to them this _goddamn_ instant!” You growled loudly, raising her voice above the din of the crowd.

“What if I don’t?!” Aoki matched her volume, standing up to her fullest height.

“Then I’ll _make_ you!” You moved to lunge forward, and would have pushed Aoki down onto the ground if not for the high, piercing order that suddenly rang out through the crowd.

_“Stop!”_

You froze, recognizing the voice. The entire crowd immediately scattered, fleeing the scene with impressive speed, leaving behind only Kunikida, Yoshiko, Aoki, and You, who had Aoki by the collar.

Turning her head mechanically, she glanced in the direction where the command came from, and sure enough, the imposing silhouette of a girl with long black hair and piercing cyan eyes blazing with cold fury.

Kurosawa Dia.

The student council president, infamous for her love of discipline and order, stopped in front of the small group and stared at them. You felt the anger fade from her system, replaced by bone-chilling fear as she felt Dia’s gaze sweep across her.

“H-Hanamaru! You’re okay!” Before Dia spoke, however, a soft, timid voice called out first, and from behind Dia, a first year with red hair done up in cute twin-tails and the signature Kurosawa cyan eyes ran out, practically tackling the Kunikida girl with a hug. “Ruby was so worried~!”

The girl, Hanamaru, smiled softly and hugged the self-proclaimed Ruby back, patting her gently on the head. “I’m fine, I’m fine. It’s okay, Ruby- oh don’t cry, zura, please…” She pleaded as Ruby started sniffling.

Ignoring the two, Dia fixed her gaze on You’s hand, still gripping Aoki’s collar tightly. “Miss Watanabe, please unhand Miss Aoki.”

You let go, and Aoki immediately fell backwards, landing hard on her butt. “Ow! You- Give me some warning, first!”

“So what exactly is going on here?” Dia asked, silencing any further complaints Aoki might’ve had. Her voice was still, and carried an edge to it, cutting into You like a knife. “I heard about a case of bullying from my sister.”

Her sister. You figured, Ruby had the look of a Kurosawa to her as well, though she looked markedly softer than her stern sibling. Shakily, she raised a hand, speaking only when Dia gave her a slight nod.

“I saw her,” You gestured at Aoki with as much contempt as she could muster, “Picking on these two. Calling them names with a crowd around them. I decided to try and break it up.”

Dia looked over to Aoki, waiting for any alternate explanations. When Aoki only looked to one side angrily, she nodded slightly to herself, as though the proceedings confirmed a theory she had in her head.

“I see,” Dia said through pursed lips. Breathing in through her nose, she closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again. “Miss Watanabe.”

“Yes?” You shifted uncomfortably on the spot.

“As much as I appreciate your attempt to combat injustice, I would much prefer you find an actual authority figure to resolve the issue instead of _initiating a brawl_.” Dia’s words made You flinch back. She was right, of course - You had stepped in when she was angry and frustrated, and she had almost hurt someone because of it. You swallowed nervously at the thought.

“Hanamaru, Ruby told me about your plan to stall for time while Ruby went for help. Very resourceful, and I commend your courage. But much like Miss Watanabe, next time I would much rather you not put yourself into harm’s way. Please just go for help if this would ever arise again.” Hanamaru - and Ruby - glowed with pride at the words, and Ruby tightened her grip on Hanamaru afterwards, smiling happily.

“Miss Aoki. This is not the first time you have been reported for aggressive behaviour. We _will_ notify your parents, as this is a serious breach of school code.” Dia glared sternly at Aoki, who paled at the mention of her parents.

“And Miss Tsushima…” Dia paused as she looked Yoshiko over. “Are you alright? Any wounds, injuries?”

Yoshiko shook her head mutely, and Dia let out a sigh of relief. “Good… safety comes first in any situation, alright? This goes for all of you too.”

The bell went off, and You looked up slightly. Tired and wanting nothing more to just sulk for the rest of the day, against her better judgement, she asked, “Um… does this mean we can go now?”

Dia stopped, and turned to look at her. She had a smile on her face that made You’s skin crawl, like a cold wind was going down her back.

“No. You’ll all be following me to the council room.” Dia tilted her head threateningly. “I’d like to have a _word_.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angry You is best You, and Aoki is a vessel for all of my hate.


	4. Cooldown (and down, and down, and down...)

_“And don’t let me ever catch you doing something as reckless as that again. You may be popular, Watanabe, but that doesn’t make you invincible…”_  
  
You stretched languidly as she came out of the student council room, her ears still buzzing from Dia’s long-winded telling off. She glanced at the other girls who had shuffled out of the room with her. The younger Kurosawa, her name was Ruby if You recalled correctly, was still fawning over her friend Hanamaru, who seemed both pleased and a little embarrassed at the attention, her cheeks red. The jerkbag Aoki had made herself scarce at the first possible opportunity. Yoshiko kept to herself, eyes glued to the ground and still clutching her laptop. You wasn’t sure if she’s ever put it down, or even let go throughout the hour-long grilling.  
  
“Man, I thought my ears would fall out with how she went on with things,” You smirked, glancing back at the door of the council room. Dia had a point and had good intentions, but damn if she wasn’t slightly very obsessed with discipline and authority.  
  
“Kurosawa doesn’t mess around, does she?”  
  
“My sister takes her job very seriously.” Ruby smiled timidly, the hint of pride in her voice unmistakable as she did.  
  
“I know she does,” You nodded diplomatically. _Perhaps a little too seriously._ She added to herself, though she didn’t say it to Ruby’s face. Kurosawa Dia was legendarily uncompromising and stiff-necked when it came to school discipline. Remembering something else, You started, and turned to Ruby, bowing her head politely.  
  
“Oh, I still need to thank you for getting Kurosawa— um, I mean your sister. I don’t know what I might have done if she didn’t step in.”  
  
 “E-eh?” Ruby blushed bashfully, hiding behind Hanamaru as she stammered, “I- I didn’t do that much, I just went to get my sister, really Hanamaru did much more than Ruby, you should be praising her more than me…”  
  
“Nope, Ruby did good, zura.” Hanamaru shook her head, turning around giving Ruby a hug. Flustered, Ruby blushed bright red, and tried to pull away to no avail, Hanamaru holding her tight. Honestly, with how cute she was, You wouldn’t let go of a hug either. But that was creepy so she kept that to herself.  
  
“H-Hanamaru, not in front of everyone…!” Ruby protested weakly, getting more and more embarrassed by the moment.  
  
“But Ruby is so cuddly~”  
  
“M-Maru…!”  
  
Leaving the two to their adorable shenanigans (due in no small part to the fact that they reminded her of herself and Chika so long ago,) You turned to Yoshiko, giving her a friendly smile and a wave.  
  
“Hey. It’s a small world, huh? Didn’t think I’d run into you again so soon after last time.”  
  
The girl stared at You for a while. You shifted uncomfortably under her scrutinizing gaze, her dull, lightless eyes seeming to bore straight through her, peering into her inner thoughts.  Her expression soon twisted into something between a frown and a grimace - disappointment? She tightened her grip on her laptop, to the point where her knuckles turned white. “…You shouldn’t have stepped in.”  
  
Her voice was hoarse, and accusatory, like You had done something offensive. Not at all the reaction she was expecting, and You took a step back in surprise.  
  
“Huh?” You tilted her head slightly in confusion. “What do you mean?”  
  
“You should not have interfered in our matters,” Yoshiko muttered, her eyes glued to the ground. “Someone like you shouldn’t— not for someone like…”  
  
She paused, and shook her head, letting the sentence trail off into silence.  
  
You sighed, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “But you needed the help, didn’t you?”  
  
“Well… yes,” Yoshiko admitted. “I was… in something of a predicament.”  
  
She looked up sharply, frowning at You. “But it does not mean you should have stepped in. You could’ve— you could’ve gotten…” Her words trailed off again, her jaw clenching hard for a moment. You’s eyes darted from her face to her fists, gripped so tightly that they shook from the exertion. You was surprised the laptop hadn’t snapped in half from the force.  
  
“…You could have gotten hurt… or worse…”  
  
Something about the way she said it made You think she meant more than just getting into a fight with Aoki. But no matter how she thought about it, You couldn’t imagine anything Aoki could do to her that You couldn’t just shrug off.  
  
“I’m not too worried about that,” You finally said, breezily, giving Yoshiko a confident smile. “Girls like her are all bark and no bite. They can’t do anything to you if you don’t let them.”  
  
Recalling Chika’s mantra when dealing with such things, You pausing for a moment, before adding on, “Y’know. Sticks and stones and all that. I’m grateful that you were worried for me, though.”  
  
Yoshiko stared at You for a while, her eyes unsteady, as though undergoing some kind of internal struggle. Finally she allowed her line of sight to drop down again, settling on staring at You’s shoes, mumbling something that You couldn’t quite catch. “…You’re a stronger person than I am, then.”  
  
You frowned. “Sorry, didn’t quite hear that.”  
  
“I said,” Yoshiko paused, opening her mouth for a moment, then closing it again. “It’s… nothing.”  
  
You sighed again, though she expected the response. From what little she’d gathered of Yoshiko, she wasn’t the most talkative of people.  
  
“Well, at least you’re okay,” You began to say, before she was distracted by a shout from down the hallway.  
  
“YOU! I HEARD YOU GOT INTO A FIGHT! DID YOU WIN?!”  
  
You couldn’t help a grin as the familiar orange hair of Chika poked around a corner, followed quickly by the rest of the girl, charging towards her from the far end of the corridor. Before You could reply, Chika took a leap and threw herself against You in a bone crushing tackle-hug.  
  
“Oof!” You went down immediately. She was buff, but not nearly buff enough to catch Chika mid-leap without falling over. As soon as she caught her breath she was laughing, and Chika was laughing, and it took her back to the good old days when she would get into a fight with the local bullies, and Chika would cheer her on from the sidelines. The frustrations from the argument with Aoki melted away immediately as her mind was awash with her and Chika’s laughter and nothing else.  
  
When she was finally out of breath, You sighed and stared up at Chika. Then promptly realized _Chika was straddling her_. She went bright red immediately, nostalgia fleeing her system to deal with this new crisis. Pushing slightly against Chika, You looked awkwardly to one side and asked, “Um… can you get off me, now?”  
  
“Hmm?” Chika tilted her head, before also realizing that she was straddling You, and quickly got off her, standing up and dusting herself off. You breathed a quiet sigh of relief (and a little bit of disappointment) once the pressure on her lifted, accepting Chika’s help with getting back up. “Eheh… sorry about that. Got a little overexcited.”  
  
You grimaced, putting a hand to her chest. A mild ache was developing where Chika had hit her straight on. Not nearly as bad as a mis-timed dive, though, so You could just walk it off. “Mhmm. You don’t say.”  
  
“Sorry~” Chika grinned apologetically, scratching the back of her head as she gave You a hand with dusting her off. Being the one who actually hit the floor, You’s back was covered in dust, so Chika had to help You reach the bits that she couldn’t. “I just heard that you got into a fight, and got excited.”  
  
“I thought you didn’t want me to get into fights?”  
  
“Well, yes. I’d rather you didn’t put yourself into harm’s way,” Chika admitted, before adding on, “But since you got into one anyway… What happened? Did you win?!”  
  
Just as You started her explanation - there was a jerk who was bullying some juniors, and she decided to step in - she spotted Riko running down the hallway towards them, out of breath and red in the face. Of course, she was going to be following Chika. You tried to keep herself upbeat - she just got off fighting scot free, she shouldn't fall back into her funk so soon.  
  
“What did I say, Chika? We don’t encourage fighting!” She gasped out between pants, stopping beside Chika and putting a hand on her shoulder to support herself while catching her breath. “And- don’t run off like that next time- oh gosh…”  
  
“Did you just say ‘gosh’?” Chika stared at Riko for a while before snickering. “You nerd.”  
  
“Hush!” Riko blushed, glaring at Chika. “We’re here to tell You to not get into fights, so can we please get to that?”  
  
“If that’s what you’re here to do, you’re an hour too late,” You chuckled, glancing over at the student council office door, where no doubt Dia was already at work getting a letter sent to Aoki’s parents. “Kurosawa got to me first.”  
  
“Oh… right. Her lectures.” Chika grimaced, and patted You on the back encouragingly. “Well, as long as you’ve learned your lesson, it’s alright.”  
  
She paused, looking thoughtful for a moment.  
  
“So… who won?”  
  
“Chika!” Riko turned to frown at Chika, causing both her and You to snort in laughter.  
  
“Sorry, sorry…” Chika laughed, reigning herself in for the moment, taking a deep breath to compose herself. “I’m done. Serious now.”  
  
“I won.”  
  
“YEAH!”  
  
“Chika!”  
  
As Riko glared at Chika, who was high-fiving You, You’s attention was drawn by the first years, who had started to head down the hallway.  
  
“You’re leaving?” You asked, glancing at Hanamaru and Ruby, who nodded quickly.  
  
“We still need to go back to our classrooms to get our bags,” Hanamaru said, bowing slightly. “So we’ll be taking our leave now, zura.”  
  
“Thank you very much for helping us, Ms. Watanabe.” Ruby said shyly.  
  
“Ah, no problem, no problem. I hate it when jerks like Aoki throw their weight around.” You grinned. “And… you know, it’s fine to call me You.”  
  
“Eh? Is that really okay?” Ruby seemed taken aback to You, eyes wide as she stared at her. “You’re… _the_ Watanabe You, though.”  
  
You sighed. While relative fame had its upsides, it also cause quite a few problems for You. Namely, this. All You wanted to do was make friends, but somehow just because she had a few more medals she was suddenly this unreachable figure who required worship and genuflection. Not that she didn’t appreciate worship and genuflection, just a little bit.  
  
But most of the time You just wanted a regular social circle that didn’t involve a million girls sabotaging each other to get closer to her. Sighing in mild exasperation, You gave Ruby her best approachable smile. “Please, call me You. I’m too young to be Ms. Watanabe.”  
  
“O-okay!” Ruby squeaked, flushing faintly. “Um! Thank you… You! We’ll be going now!”  
  
They bowed again, and after shooting a final glance at Yoshiko, they took their leave back to their classroom. You, too, glanced at Yoshiko, who had been watching You and the girls interact silently up to this point, her eyes darting between them quickly.  
  
Curiously, she asked, “Aren’t you going to get your bag, too? This idiot got my bag for me,” she gestured at Chika. She’d dropped it when tackling You, but she did bring it from the classroom. “But you’ll need to pick yours up from your classroom, right?”  
  
Yoshiko nodded, but she didn’t make a move. You kept her gaze on her for a moment, waiting to see if she was going to go.  
  
“…So, are you going to go pick up your bag?” You finally asked, running out of patience.  
  
“I’m… trying.” Yoshiko muttered. You raised an eyebrow, noticing her subtle glance in the direction of Chika and Riko. Was she not comfortable with Chika and Riko?  
  
“Uh…” You’s brain whirred as she tried to think of an excuse to get Yoshiko to one side. Turning to Chika and Riko, she said, “You two can go on ahead, I’ll… um, walk her back to the classroom.”  
  
Okay, saying exactly what she intended to do wasn’t really an excuse, but it worked. Kind of. Chika looked slyly at You, giving her the double finger pistols and a knowing wink. You resisted a groan as she realized that Chika was going to use this as ammunition for her non-existent crush on Yoshiko.  
  
“Sure~” Chika grinned, pulling a confused Riko along. “Call me when get home!”  
  
“Wait, what’s going on?” Riko asked, “Why are we- what about You?”  
  
“Shhh, just let it happen…”  
  
As Chika and Riko also disappeared down the other end of the hallway, You turned to look at Yoshiko.  
  
“So. What’s up?” You asked, because screw subtlety, immediately asking the person about their issues in the most offhand manner was the way to go. Stopping herself, she shook her head before starting again, “Is there something bothering you? Is that why you didn’t leave?”  
  
Yoshiko stared at You for a moment. After a few seconds she broke her gaze and shook her head, slowly starting off down the hallway, the same direction Hanamaru and Ruby went. Staring at her back for a moment, You sighed and trotted up after her, keeping a respectful distance between them but still keeping within earshot of her, in case she said something.  
  
Watching her, You realized something about Yoshiko. Ever since You had caught sight of her at lunch, You didn’t think she’d seen Yoshiko change her posture. The entire time, she was hunched over, cradling her laptop defensively, her eyes staring warily around. Yoshiko was on guard, very much so, caution permeating her every action. But what was she cautious about? What could spook her so much? You had to imagine that staying high tension for so long couldn’t be good for her.  
  
“Hey,” You spoke up, though her tone was still quiet and soothing. Yoshiko flinched, before glancing back at her slightly.  
  
“…Yes, Watanabe?” Her voice was stiff, and hoarse, still. You sighed (something she found herself doing a lot in Yoshiko’s presence), wishing that Yoshiko could relax a little. You felt responsible in some way for her nervousness.  
  
“Is it Aoki?” Yoshiko flinched again, more visibly this time.  
  
“How did you—” Yoshiko stopped suddenly, cutting herself off.  
  
“I mean— what about her?”  
  
You gestured at her face. “It’s obvious you’re concerned about something. I just guessed the first thing that came to mind, but… are you afraid she’s still skulking around?”  
  
“I am not…” Yoshiko grimaced, looking like she had a bitter taste in her mouth. For a moment You thought she saw her eyes, dull and dispirited as they always was, glimmer with the barest hints of fire. “I am not afraid of her.”  
  
“Worried, then.” You amended. “You’re worried she’s still around here?”  
  
Pausing in her step, Yoshiko mumbled something incoherently for a moment before nodding reluctantly. “We did not see her leave the school grounds. I am not… adequately equipped, to deal with her alone.”  
  
“You could hit her with your laptop,” You joked, before she could stop herself. They were having a serious moment, damn it.  
  
Yoshiko shook her head. “Not an option.”  
  
“It was just a joke…”  
  
“Oh.” Yoshiko blushed faintly, the first sign of any positive emotion You’s seen come out of the girl since meeting her the first time. “Okay.”  
  
“Well,” You smiled, puffing out her chest a little. “You won’t have to worry about her. I’ve got your back.”  
  
Yoshiko laughed a dry, hollow laugh, which made You want to frown, though she kept up a positive face.  
  
“I’m sure you do, Watanabe.”  
  
Yoshiko stopped in front of a first year classroom, pulling the door open and striding in. You stayed outside, waiting for only a moment until Yoshiko reemerged from the classroom, shouldering a plain black messenger bag.  
  
“Got everything?” You asked, as Yoshiko brushed past her silently. Yoshiko just nodded, and they both set off again, this time heading down to the school gates. The walk down was silent, Yoshiko apparently absorbed in thought, and You spending the whole time staring at Yoshiko, allowing herself to get a good look at the girl from up close.  
  
She really was very beautiful, You realized, now that they were within speaking distance. Her skin was incredibly pale, like hadn’t seen the sun’s rays at all, a whiteness perfectly preserved from birth. The best description for her would be… faerie-like. Fey. Angelic? You struggled to find a concise word, but Yoshiko gave off a certain unworldly aura, like she was above it all. Her rosy eyes, though dull and without light, drew You in, tempting her to look closer. Her slim frame gave off a more mature air than her fellow first years - she was taller, and though both Hanamaru and Ruby were more curvaceous, Yoshiko seemed more well-rounded, her body proportioned like a meticulous sculpture.  
  
Why did she care so much about this girl? You had talked to her a grand total of twice, including today. She was hard-pressed to call Yoshiko an acquaintance, much less a friend, so why did You feel so invested in her? It was as though there was some implacable attraction between them that drew You closer, compelling her to gravitate towards Yoshiko.  
  
Chika, the dreamer that she was, would probably call it fate, but You wasn’t so sure. All she knew is that there was something, _something_ about her that You just couldn’t let go of. Some intangible quality that intrigued You, kept her attention on the mysterious girl.  
  
“You know,” You began haltingly, as they passed the school gates, onto the slope down to the bus stops. Yoshiko glanced at her, alert. You paused, not sure on how to proceed, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. “I don’t really know you that well.”  
  
“You don’t.” Yoshiko agreed, nodding her head slightly. The matter of factness of the statement threw You off - it was as though Yoshiko didn’t want You to know her well, that them being virtual strangers was the proper way of things.  
  
You studied Yoshiko’s expression. She looked… sad? Upset? Was it because of the bullying? No, You had been paying attention to Yoshiko the whole time. She looked almost bored, during the bullying. She got angry when Aoki turned her attention to Hanamaru, sure, but when Aoki’s attention was on her, Yoshiko barely seemed to react at all.  
  
She couldn’t quite place the strange air of negativity Yoshiko displayed, but it seemed almost directed at You. Was Yoshiko upset at her for some reason? You had no idea where to even begin to start understanding it.  
  
“I’d… like to know more about you.” You finally said, after mulling the sentence over in her mind for a while. “Since I don’t know that much about you. I’d like to know you better.”  
  
Yoshiko paused for a moment, her expression conflicted, caught between what to You was a hopeful smile and a pained grimace. Then she looked away, at the distant horizon. You followed her gaze, finding the sun had begun to set, though it was still early afternoon, so the sky was still blue save a slight orange tinge at the edges. The light obscured Yoshiko’s face, forcing You to squint.  
  
“I’d…” Yoshiko started, then stopped, seeming to think over her words. “I’d rather you didn’t.”  
  
You frowned. “I’m not, like, asking you out or anything. I just want to be friends. I mean, if you’re not okay with it, that’s fine, but…”  
  
“It’s not a matter of okay or not,” Yoshiko shook her head, her expression still unreadable. “It’s… better for you to stay away. For your own good.”  
  
You stopped. They had reached the bus stop without her noticing, and she almost kept walking on ahead. What Yoshiko just said… what did she mean? Was she that opposed to being friends with You?  
  
“‘For your own good’… If you don’t want to be friends, you can just say it, you know?” Yoshiko made it sound like it wasn’t so much her not wanting to befriend You, it was that You would be better off not befriending her. It made no sense.  
  
“That’s…” Yoshiko moved to shake her head, then she hesitated, then slowly started to nod. “Yes. I don’t require your friendship. You should keep your distance. I appreciate your help today, I really do, but please do not speak to me again.”  
  
“…oh.”  
  
So it really was You overthinking it all this time. All the secrecy, the closed body language, the frowns and grimaces and negativity, it was just because she didn’t want to be with You. It made sense, really, more than whatever elaborate emotional burden You had imagined it to be. Turns outt was her who was causing Yoshiko all this distress, all along.  
  
You blinked, nodded once, then took a few steps away from Yoshiko. “I’m… sorry.”  
  
The bus came, and they filed on. Neither of them spoke, until You got off and ran to her room, throwing herself onto her bed. Burying her face in a pillow, she fought back a sniff, her breath catching in her chest painfully.  
  
“… Why do I even bother any more…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can barely comprehend my own feelings, let alone the mess of emotional distress that is my AU!YouHane. Please do tell me if this chapter feels off or doesn't read well, this is my first serious relationship fic so I'd appreciate constructive criticism about how the drama reads, especially on Yoshiko's end of things. I'm... not necessarily the best at writing angst, especially indirect angst.
> 
> As for the chapter itself, I feel like You as a character is very perceptive, but not necessarily very insightful. She can tell when something is wrong but isn't the best at getting to the root of it because of her personality. Does anyone share my opinion on this matter? Or do you feel like I've butchered You's personality?


	5. Welcome to Rock Bottom

You felt a little better after getting a good night’s sleep. Even if Yoshiko’s outright refusal hurt her more than she thought it would, You figured that she had already tried her best to be friendly. If Yoshiko wasn’t receptive, there was nothing she could do about it.  
  
At least, it was what she reported to Chika when she called her in the morning, the day after Yoshiko rejected her offer of friendship. It was a sunny Saturday morning, but even if she felt marginally better about things, You didn’t feel like going for her usual weekend exercise routine, instead following up her promise to call Chika after she got home. Of course, being the way she was, Chika immediately demanded You tell her everything, and if they were going to go on a second date soon.  
  
Pointedly ignoring the latter question, You gave Chika an abbreviated version of what occurred that afternoon, how she tried to learn a bit more about Yoshiko, and how Yoshiko told her that she didn’t want to be friends. After listening to her account, Chika stayed quiet for a moment, probably mulling over Yoshiko’s reaction.  
  
_“So… what, she just didn’t want to be friends?”_  
  
You could imagine Chika tilting her head, her brow furrowed in confusion as she asked the question. Kicking back in her bed and folding an arm behind her head, she said, “That… seems to be the case, yeah.”  
  
_“That’s weird,”_ Chika hummed thoughtfully. _“Girls are usually falling over themselves to be friends with you.”_  
  
“Do you think I did something wrong? I mean, I was prying a little. Maybe she didn’t like that. I guess I shouldn’t have poked my nose into someone else’s business…” You sighed, turning onto her side and staring out into the morning sky. The sun shone, the sky was blue, and there was nary a cloud to be seen. It was almost taunting how beautiful the day was, in stark contrast to You’s inner turmoil.  
  
“I could have sworn she… I dunno, it just felt like she wanted the company, you know? I know she said it was better for me to stay away from her and all… but for a moment she almost sounded like she was going to accept. Did I just interpret that all wrong, then?”  
  
_“You know, I was joking before, but you really care a lot for this girl, huh? This Tsushima Yoshiko.”_  
  
“Huh? No! I don't! I mean I do, but maybe? Like– Um–” You floundered for a moment, for some reason flustered by the thought. Did she really care for her? What did that even mean? Care in what capacity, exactly?! “Look, I barely know her. I’ve barely talked to her. I’m just curious, that’s all. Something about the way she refused… It’s just bugging me.”  
  
_"It sounds like you care a lot for her. You don’t normally care so much about the opinions of others, you know."_  
  
“Well…” You considered that for a moment, before at least conceding the second point. Yoshiko did capture her attention more than most. “Okay, so maybe she’s got me a little concerned for her. I mean, I watched her get ganged up on by a bunch of bullies, of course I’d be concerned. . It’s not like I particularly care for her, I just… can’t stop thinking about her.”  
  
She paused, thinking the wording of that last phrase over.  
  
“Wait, no, Chika that’s not what I meant—!”  
  
_“Awwww! You do care!”_  
  
You groaned as Chika cooed gleefully, obviously having gotten an entirely different (and wrong) message. She buried her face in her hands as Chika continued, _"I thought it was weird, you never cared this much about getting close to someone before, and seeing you this hung-up on her— oh, it makes sense, it does!"_

“Chika!”  
  
_“No, this is good, this is good! I won’t tell anyone, I swear!”_  
  
“I don’t––!”  
  
_“Ah, You’s finally all grown up, I’m so proud I could just cry—!”_  
  
“CHIKA!”  
  
You’s cheeks were burning, possibly from embarrassment, possibly from frustration, most probably because Chika couldn’t be more wrong in every single way. Miraculously, it seemed at least some of her feelings finally made it through her dense mikan obsessed skull, because Chika actually shut up and listened for once.  
  
“I don’t… Yoshiko isn’t… she’s not- that, okay? She looked like she needed a friend so I asked, but she turned me down, and I found that strange. That’s it. I don’t… I don’t like her or anything. I'm just worried for her. As I said, I'm concerned.”  
  
_“Okay… but I didn’t say anything about liking anyone… Freudian much?”_  
  
“Oh my god, Chika. I will punch you.”  
  
_“Okay, okay, no more on that... I give you my blessing and nothing more.”_  
  
“Chika, I know where you live.”  
  
_“Same.”_

"I'll hunt you down."

_"Me too."_

You could almost hear the shit-eating grin coming through the phone. Rubbing the bridge of her nose in sheer frustration, she briefly considered the logistics of getting away with murder, before sighing deeply.  
  
“Look, Chika. I’m… just worried that she’s unhappy. Obviously she’s getting bullied, and from what I’ve heard she doesn’t have the support that she needs. You said that she doesn’t have many friends. I think she doesn’t have any friends, at all. That’s bad, especially when she’s up against someone like Aoki and her goons. I want to at least make sure she's not going to be caught out alone.”  
  
Casting her mind back, You recalled that when she was picking on Yoshiko, Aoki had a dangerous glint in her eyes, like a shark homing in on a bloody kill, and her little clique was like a school of piranhas in the wake of her. You didn’t want to imagine what might have happened if she didn’t step in, or if Hanamaru hadn’t decided to help her in the first place. Yoshiko didn't look like she was going to defend herself...  
  
_“Okay. Here’s what I think. If you really care that much about her — platonically,”_ Chika added quickly, before You could say anything about it, _“then I think you should just…”_  
  
You frowned in confusion when a thudding sound, like Chika was repeatedly punching her own palm, came from the phone.  
  
_“Keep bashing your intentions over her head until she gets it, you know? Just—”_ The thudding got louder, like Chika was really going medieval on her hand, _“Just keep trying until she gives.”_  
  
“Uh…” _No thanks._

“…I’ll take that into consideration.” You said, as diplomatically as she could.  
  
She doubted that would work, because she’d been trying that with Chika, and in recent memory, it hadn’t worked. But also she just didn’t think that Yoshiko would be the kind of girl who was susceptible to an approach like that. She might just get annoyed at You and never talk to You again, which provided that Yoshiko had already asked You to not speak to her, was a very real possibility. Which would be very unfortunate for You, because she genuinely considered Yoshiko a good friend candidate.  
  
“I guess I’ll try and talk to her about it on Monday. See if she won’t come round.”  
  
_“Atta girl.”_ Chika said, encouragingly. You left out the part where she wouldn’t be ‘bashing her intentions over her head’ like Chika suggested, because she figured she didn’t need to know that. Besides, it might actually come in handy even if You doubted it.  
  
…Speaking of, the mysterious beating noises were still continuing. You figured Chika forgot she was doing it in the first place.  
  
“Erm, anyway, with that done and dusted… Chika, you can stop your demonstration of, uh ‘intention bashing’ now. I’m pretty sure I get the point.”  
  
_“Oh, right. I forgot I was doing it in the first place.”_ Called it. But also, why, of all people, did You decide to ask Chika for advice again? She should have expected that Chika wouldn't really offer more advice than 'keep trying'. _“Uh, is there something else you needed help with? Is there another girl you wanted to use the patented Takami serenading technique on? Because I gotta run in… um, five minutes? Yes, five minutes. It’s five minutes to ten, right?”_  
  
“Um… yes. More or less.” Peeking at the clock on her nightstand, You fought to keep the disappointed tone out of her voice as she asked, “Are you going somewhere today?”  
  
You planned to play Immortal legends for most of that weekend - one of the rare days she had in her schedule that she could use for free time - and she thought that maybe Chika could join her in a few neutral dungeon runs. Thanks to Yohane’s training and assistance, You was nearly the same level as Chika now, even if Chika had a few weeks’ head start. She had a particular dungeon in mind that would get the both of them usable loot, which she figured would be agreeable for Chika.  
  
If she was going out, it would throw a wrench in her plans - though she could always do the run the next day instead. You wasn’t in a rush, and any time spent with Chika was good time, even in a game.  
  
_“Oh I’m taking Riko around Uchiura’s sights, and all the important places a resident ought to know about. The grocery street, the stores, buses. Maybe go up to the little temple - you know, the one Kanan showed us a while back - and show Riko the view. It’ll be great. I think.”_  
  
There was that wrench. A wrench named Riko. You bit her lips, feeling sharp pin-pricks of pain where her teeth pierced her skin. Riko _did_ need a tour around Uchiura. She’d gotten lost no less than three times in just as many days last week, and as part of the inn-keeping Takami family, Chika knew the conveniences around like none other. It was probably a good idea, logically speaking, from a rational point of view.  
  
“Hm. Right. A tour.” A tour. You resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Why couldn't she just call it what it really was - a date? It practically was a date anyway - a pretty girl taking another pretty girl around town to have a good time - even if Chika was too dense to realize it, or if she just didn’t want to say it to You’s face.  
  
Undaunted, Chika continued cheerily, _“Yeah, a tour! And I thought we could even get some tea from the cafe. What do you think? Do you think she’ll like it?”_  
  
You swallowed. I hate it and I think you should take me instead. I’ve known you for at least ten years and had a crush on your for two of those. I’ve tried everything to make you understand short of pushing you against a wall and kissing you. Please don’t do this.  
  
“Uh… sounds great! She’ll love it. Maybe you could swing by Kanan’s too.”  
  
Not what she intended to say, but it was close enough.  
  
_“Hey, that a good idea! Wait, I’ll add that to the list…”_  
  
 While the scratching of pencil on paper came through the call, You briefly considered asking to join them. Knowing Chika, she would totally let You on. But at the same time, it would mean exposing herself to the worst kind of third-wheeling in existence.  
  
Besides, Chika seemed happy. And… if Chika was happy, then You supposed she was happy for her.  
  
“Um. You should probably leave now.” You said, quietly. The scratching stopped, and Chika let out an alarmed squeak. _“Oh, right! Riko’s probably waiting for me downstairs - I’ll go now! Um, good talk, You!”_  
  
“Yup. Good talk…”  
  
_“Good luck with getting Tsushima- I mean, befriending her!”_ You opened her moth to protest, but the call ended that moment, so she just threw her phone across the bed, closed her eyes, and counted to ten, breathing out slowly through her nose.  
  
This whole conversation was a disaster. An absolute disaster. You covered her face with her hands, letting out a sigh and a groan. Now Chika probably thought she had a crush on Yoshiko. And Chika was getting closer and closer to Riko. So in her mind, You’s chances went from infinitesimal to none. She wanted to scream, but her mom was asleep in the other room. So she just grumbled loudly into her pillow and punched the mattress a few times.  
  
“God, Chika, why do you suck so much?” You muttered, sighing again. She was fighting a losing battle and she knew it. She had no idea what to do. A week ago everything was fine. Then she saw Yoshiko and Riko transferred and now everything was a mess, and even if her motto was ‘Full speed ahead’ all she felt like she was speeding into was an emotional wreck.  
  
She needed help. You reached over to her phone, where she had thrown it a few moments ago. Who could help her? Definitely not Chika. She had Riko’s number but she wasn’t sure if she was going to ask for help or just scream at her. Like Hell she was going to ask anyone else from school - the rumor mill would go crazy.  
  
Kanan? You nodded, quickly tapping in Kanan’s number. Kanan probably already picked up on You’s crush. If not, You was confident Kanan could keep a secret. She was probably the most levelheaded out of the three of them - Kanan, You and Chika, that was. The three musketeers of Uchiura.  
  
Waiting with bated breath, You tapped the bed impatiently as the dialing sound went on and on. Kanan was always the most mature of them, what with having to help out at the shop a lot, and taking care of Chika. If anyone could help her, it would be Kanan.  
  
_“The number you called could not be reached, please try again later…”_  
  
You let her head drop again. Of course. Kanan was probably still helping out at the diving shop - with weather like this, loads of diving enthusiasts were probably lining up for a dive. Which meant her final lifeline was cut.  
  
The universe was a harsh place to be. You rolled over, sighed, and sat up. Was there anyone else… her mom? No, her mom would totally make it weird. It would be an awkward conversation.  
  
Eventually her gaze drifted over to her laptop, and she recalled Yohane’s words. I’ll be around, always. You was reasonably certain it didn’t extend to offering romantic advice for confused high-school girls. But at the same time, You was pretty sure someone with an in-game presence like Yohane probably had a pretty good social life out of game as well.  
  
If not, well, You was going to play Immortal Legends anyway. Might as well see if Yohane was willing to listen to her rant. Taking out her laptop, You opened up Immortal Legends and logged in, mulling over how she would phrase her question while she waited for the game to connect to the servers. As the connection was made, her character avatar materialized on the familiar lava fields of Hell, where she’d been experience grinding for the past few days.  
  
Before she could actually do anything, however, she immediately received a message:

> _FallenAngelYohane: You! You’re here!_  
>    
>  _FallenAngelYohane: I was worried when you didn’t appear yesterday, I thought something might have happened._  
>    
>  _FallenAngelYohane: Is everything alright?_

You blinked. It was true that she didn’t log in the day before, since she was too busy sulking about being turned down by Yoshiko, but she wasn’t expecting someone who was probably as busy as Yohane to be keeping count. She must’ve been watching her friend list the whole time if she was able to catch You the moment she logged on.

You smiled. It felt nice to know that someone was still looking out for her, even if she was just in a video game.  
  
But then something else came to her.  
  
_Did Yohane… just call me You?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little shorter than normal, because this was originally a 5000 odd word chapter that I split in half. More Immortal Legends next turn, I swear!


	6. No Brakes on the Feels Train

You swallowed, reading over the chatlog again. There was no mistaking it, Yohane had definitely called her You in the message.

How did she know?

You paused. Actually, did she really know?

She stopped, thinking about it for a moment. She knew that there was a rational explanation for it. Her handle _was_ Yousoro, after all. Even if Yohane didn’t seem like the type to make up nicknames on the fly like that, it wasn’t a leap of logic to go from Yousoro to You. At least, it was the only reason You could think of in the moment.

As You contemplated this, she noticed the icon for when a message was being written - the classic bouncing ellipses - show up in the chat window. The now familiar ping of the in game messenger followed as Yohane sent another message.

> _FallenAngelYohane: Yousoro?_
> 
> _FallenAngelYohane: Are you there?_

And she was back to using Yousoro again. Was that just a fluke, then? You furrowed her brow slightly as she responded.

> _Yousoro: Hi, sorry, I’m here._
> 
> _Yousoro: I was just distracted by something._
> 
> _Yousoro: To answer your question, yes, I’m fine. I just had a bit of a bad day yesterday. Didn’t feel like playing._
> 
> _Yousoro: I’m okay now, though!_

You quickly put an emote code, and her avatar gave Yohane a smart salute. She still wasn’t sure how to feel about her name popping up suddenly, but she figured she would let it go for now. She had enough to think about already without worrying about that too, and she didn’t want to come off as confrontational to Yohane.

> _FallenAngelYohane: Well, it’s good to hear that you’re okay._

A few seconds passed as You tapped her keyboard, wondering how she should respond. She wanted to ask Yohane for advice, but how would she start a conversation like that?

_i think im in love, what do???_

No, of course not.

You stared at the blank chat bar for a moment, biting her lip. This was harder than she thought it would be. At least she knew how to talk to Chika, this was the first time she tried to talk to Yohane about anything out of game.

Before she could start typing, Yohane messaged her again, her avatar beckoning at You for emphasis.

> _FallenAngelYohane: Now come! There are quests to be done and dungeons to be raided, my little demon._

You sighed. The moment was passed - she would just have to wait until she saw an opening during the dungeon run. Shaking her head to get back in the mood for Immortal Legends, she opened up her quest log to check if she had anything written down.

> _Yousoro: What are we doing today?_
> 
> _FallenAngelYohane: We’re going to a dungeon in the mid-levels. The target is a rogue balor who went mad._

In Immortal Legends, each faction had their own territory, which they defended against the opposing faction. Hell had its layers of Hell, and likewise Heaven had its celestial Spheres. Each layer was different, and hosted low- to mid-level mobs and dungeons for starting players. More experienced players would move into Limbo, where PVP was active and the mobs were far stronger, but Yohane said that You wasn’t ready for Limbo yet.

The mid-levels were your typical hellfire-and-brimstone hellscape, with magma geysers and obsidian crags. Fire demons inhabited the area. You found it odd that she, as a demon, was hunting demons, but Yohane assured her they were ‘rogue demons’ who refused to fight with the demonic legions, which made sense to You.

Quickly re-equipping herself to be better suited towards fire-type enemies, You gave Yohane the thumbs up, signaling she was ready. Nodding in response, Yohane pulled out a teleporting crystal, and transported the two of them to their destination. The crystal deposited them in front of a massive cavern entrance, sculpted to look like a gaping maw.

> _FallenAngelYohane: This should not be too difficult for you. Just remember to use dark pyromancy instead of usual pyromancies. Fire demons are mostly immune to flame magic._
> 
> _Yousoro: Right. On your lead?_

Yohane nodded, and brandishing her staff, they set off into the cavern. As she said, the mobs weren’t too much trouble. They were mostly just fire sprites, little goblin-things that were made of fire, which You could easily just slash aside without even using her magics. The rooms were straightforward, not too many traps, so You had plenty of space to maneuver around while fighting. For a hybrid spell-caster and fighter like You, it was the perfect arena. Yohane really had picked a good dungeon to bring You to.

After clearing a few rooms, while You was engaging a particularly resilient firecrab - which was exactly what it said on the tin - Yohane suddenly started chatting.

> _FallenAngelYohane: So… You mentioned having a bad day. What happened, if you don’t mind me prying?_

You tilted her head curiously. Yohane had never expressed much interest in her personal life thus far. You had chalked it down to Yohane being an RPer, but her asking now worked to You’s favor. She could just use this chance to ask Yohane about Yoshiko - and Chika, probably. Keeping an eye on the crab, she quickly tapped out a sequence of messages.

> _Yousoro: Well… I got in a fight. It wasn’t too serious, I didn’t get hurt or anything._
> 
> _Yousoro: And there was this person I kind of wanted to be friends with, but she totally shot me down._
> 
> _Yousoro: That kind of hurt, but what can you do, you know? Things happen._

You was surprised how quickly she opened herself up. It wasn’t like she was disclosing anything vital, but still, they were only friends online. Only in Immortal Legends, even. But there was something about Yohane that was strangely familiar, that made You trust her more than most. Maybe it was just because she was nice to You, and You wanted to be nice in return.

Tabbing away from the chat, You focused back on fighting the giant firecrab while Yohane typed out a response. She circled around the thing’s legs, hacking at them and periodically charging up dark fireballs - which apparently were different from regular fireballs, because they were evil, or something - and blasting the crab’s underside with them. The crab tried to retaliate by swinging its giant fiery crab claws at her, but her character’s acrobatic skills let her dodge away easily.

> _FallenAngelYohane: I suppose it can’t be helped - some people just aren’t receptive._
> 
> _Yousoro: I guess so._

You quickly tapped out the answer before switching back to the fight. Her character managed to wedge her sword into the crab’s leg’s joint, and with a twist, dislocated the whole thing. The crab went down in a spray of fiery magma blood, exploding into a shower of polygon particles, and Yohane performed the clap emote, congratulating her victory.

> _FallenAngelYohane: You probably shouldn’t take it as a personal slight. I’m sure she had a good reason._
> 
> _Yousoro: I guess… I can’t see it, but I don’t know her well enough to guess._
> 
> _FallenAngelYohane: I think it's best you respected her wishes. If she isn't willing to be friends, there is likely little you can do to change her mind.  
> _

Yohane’s advice was along the lines of listening to what Yoshiko had asked for, and stop trying to befriend her. It left a bitter taste in You’s mouth, but she could see the sense in that. It gave her a little perspective into the matter, at least. Maybe Yoshiko did have a good reason for pushing her away.

> _Yousoro: And… there is another reason I was a little down._

You hesitated. Was she really going to ask Yohane about Chika? She bit her lip lightly, her hands pausing over the keyboard. Yohane seemed pretty wise in You’s eyes, and she felt trustworthy. As long as she didn’t say any names…

> _FallenAngelYohane: You can trust me, you know. I won’t tell a soul. I just want to help._

Reading over the message a few times, You swallowed, and after a few more seconds of deliberation, she slowly started typing out her conundrum.

> _Yousoro: There’s this girl. I’ve been childhood friends with her, but recently I started to like her… romantically._

Yohane’s response was almost instant, popping up moments after You’s message had sent.

> _FallenAngelYohane: Wait, you’re gay?_
> 
> _FallenAngelYohane: I meant, not that there’s any problem with that._
> 
> _FallenAngelYohane: I don’t judge._
> 
> _FallenAngelYohane: You can like whoever you want._
> 
> _FallenAngelYohane: That’s completely fine._
> 
> _FallenAngelYohane: Um, sorry for interrupting._
> 
> _FallenAngelYohane: You were saying?_
> 
> _Yousoro: It’s okay. Most people have that reaction._

You smirked at the familiar reaction. She’s already seen it more times than she could count - her preference wasn't a big secret, and word got around town very quickly in little Uchiura.

> _Yousoro: Anyway. Long story short, I like her, but I’m not sure if she likes me the same way._
> 
> _FallenAngelYohane: What makes you think that?_
> 
> _FallenAngelYohane: Seems to me like you’re a nice person to be with. Funny. Considerate. Probably pretty._
> 
> _FallenAngelYohane: I’d date you!_
> 
> _Yousoro: Haha. Thanks, but that’s not the issue._

You shifted slightly, closing her eyes for a moment, trying to put her feelings into words.

> _Yousoro: There’s another girl. She just moved to town, and it’s like…_
> 
> _Yousoro: I don’t know._
> 
> _Yousoro: It feels like they’re made for each other. They suit each other so much it hurts to watch them._
> 
> _Yousoro: They eat together, talk together, sit together, they even live next to each other._
> 
> _Yousoro: She’s wonderful in every way that I’m not, and I think that’s exactly what my friend likes about her._
> 
> _Yousoro: Makes me feel like I never stood a chance to begin with._

You blinked, her vision blurring momentarily. Her face felt warm. There was a tightness in her chest as she thought about Chika and Riko, the instantaneous connection between them, as though it was fated for them to meet. She bit her lip, her eyes stinging, the image of Chika and Riko side by side burned into her mind, with herself only able to watch from one side, the distance between them growing by the day.

> _Yousoro: And the scary thing is, my friend is actually happy now._
> 
> _Yousoro: She’s happier than I’ve ever seen her be in my life, even though I’ve been trying to do the same for years._
> 
> _Yousoro: If all twelve years of our friendship could be replaced in a week_
> 
> _Yousoro: It’s like, why should I even bother?_
> 
> _Yousoro: I guess I’m just feeling a little worthless_
> 
> _Yousoro: Like I never even mattered_
> 
> _Yousoro: To her_
> 
> _Yousoro: I_

You stopped. It was getting hard for her to breathe, her breath coming in tight chokes. Putting a finger to her cheeks, she was surprised to find that it came away wet, the tip of the finger glistening with wetness. She didn’t realize she had started crying, but now that she did, more tears welled up, streaming down her cheeks in warm trickles, soaking into the bedsheets. She tried to take a steadying breath, but all that came out was a ragged sob.

Shakily, she started typing again, even though the screen was blurred from the tears in her eyes.

> _Yousoro: Sorry_
> 
> _Yousoro: This got really personal really fast_
> 
> _Yousoro: I need a moment_

Trying her best to contain herself to just sobbing and not full-blown wailing, You stumbled out of her room, and half-crawled her way into the bathroom, leaning against the wall for support. It felt like her heart was tearing itself to shreds, ripping apart more with every painful beat. Her breathing was labored, the air feeling like thick syrup, filling her lungs then refusing to come out.

_Get a grip_ , she tried to tell herself, but in reality she was already doing as well as she could, holding together as much of her frayed nerves and broken heart as she could manage. She didn’t expect it to go this way. A month ago she had imagined another year with Chika, maybe even mustering the courage to finally ask her out.

Now _Riko_ was here, and god forbid You hold even a single candle to the beautiful, talented, intelligent transfer student from Tokyo. Meanwhile, she was just Watanabe You. A country girl who liked uniforms and boats. The competition was so underwhelming it wasn’t even funny.

Shrugging off her clothes - and thanking the fact that she slept commando - she dragged herself into the showers and turned on the faucet, allowing the stream of warm water to hit her. With the noise of the shower to drown out her voice, she let herself curl up into a ball and bawl her eyes out, the shower water drumming against her back, her tears vanishing into the flow of water.

The rush of warm water helped ease the pressure in her chest, and finally, after an eternity, she managed to take a proper breath, steamy air filling her lungs. She didn’t know how long she stayed there, hunched over, letting the shower of warm water beat against her head and back. It was soothing, in a way, like the stream was washing away her troubles. But she knew it wasn’t going to last. Once she stepped out of the showers, dried off, the doubts and gnawing ache in her chest would be back, strong as ever.

Reaching up, You ran a hand through the locks of her soaked hair, in the absence of having anything else to do. Maybe she should grow her hair out. If she even had that long.

_I wonder where Chika and Riko are right now._

Probably making out on the beach. Okay, probably not, but it didn’t stop You’s heart from shattering a little bit from the thought of them together—

Slamming a hand down on the tap to turn it off, You stood up abruptly, swaying precariously for a few seconds before finding her balance. Shaking her head clear, she took a deep breath, gave herself a light smack on the cheeks, and stepped out of the shower. It didn’t take long for her to dry herself off and put her clothes back on, feeling a little more refreshed and much more in control of her stupid emotions.

Sidling back into her room, You plopped herself down in front of her laptop, noticing immediately that Yohane had left her a few messages while she was in the shower. Yohane’s avatar was also nowhere to be found, though like the first time they met, You’s avatar had been dragged off to a safe zone.

> _FallenAngelYohane: I need to leave soon, there’s something I need to take care of._
> 
> _FallenAngelYohane: But for what it’s worth, I don’t think you’re worthless._
> 
> _FallenAngelYohane: As I’ve said, I think you’re a wonderful person._
> 
> _FallenAngelYohane: Everybody has their own worth. You just need to show her what’s special about you._
> 
> _FallenAngelYohane: Have you tried talking directly to her about it? Sometimes the simplest solution is the most effective._
> 
> _FallenAngelYohane: I need to go now. But if you need someone to talk to, I’ll be here._

You sighed. She checked her friend’s list, which was pretty much Chika, Kanan, and Yohane, plus a few other random people she partnered with briefly for quests and dungeons. Yohane’s name was greyed out, meaning she’d been offline for a while.

You couldn’t help but feel like she scared Yohane off.

Her mom used to say she was magnetic, that people gravitated towards her. But recently, it felt like the complete opposite. Chika felt more distant. The whole thing with Yoshiko. Now Yohane, and after she so kindly listened to her problems and tried to help her, too.

> _Yousoro: Sorry._
> 
> _Yousoro: This got a lot heavier than I thought it would be. Sorry for burdening you with this._
> 
> _Yousoro: Thanks for listening, Yohane._

Shutting her laptop, You sighed again, and stood up, glancing out of the window at the morning - now closer to noon - sky. It _was_ a beautiful day. It would be a waste to spend her day cooped up indoors, feeling miserable about herself. Changing into appropriately sporty clothes, she decided to go for a run by the waterfront. The sea always calmed her in the past, maybe it could help her figure out her mess of a love life.

She scribbled a quick note to her mom, telling her she was out for a run, and set off, trying her best not to think about what had just happened. Even if logically she knew there was nothing wrong with crying, the proud, stubborn side of her was still frustrated she let her emotions get the better of her, especially when it was about Chika. She’d spent years building up a facade of normalcy around her, hoping it would protect her from the crushingly overwhelming emotions she felt for the dumb mikan. All it took was a transfer student for her hard work to come crashing down, tipping her world upside down.

Stepping outside the house, she let the tang of the sea wind - omnipresent in Uchiura - fill her lungs, and she felt a familiar twinge in her limbs, the insistent itch that had drove You onward for most of her life. It wasn’t like her to stay stagnant. She had to keep moving, full speed ahead. Heading for the waterfront at a brisk trot, You let her mind wander towards what Yohane had said instead.

_Talk to her._ It was such a simple piece of advice, but it was a lot easier said than done. You smirked crookedly. It wasn’t as though she hadn’t tried that before. _Tried_ being the operative word. It wasn’t You’s fault it was so difficult to go through with.

Chika was like a brick wall. To be fair, she had her moments of insight, but most of the time she was stubbornly dense, subtlety and implications bouncing right off of her without making a mark. Rationally, logically speaking, Yohane was probably right in saying that the only shot You had was to make her intentions completely clear.

Not that thinking rationally about it made it any easier. In fact thinking rationally about all the ways it could go terribly wrong and ruin the perfectly acceptable friendship they already had was eroding away what little resolve You had in the first place.

You was so distracted she almost walked straight off the waterfront, down the slope and tumbled headlong into the shallows. But she didn’t, thankfully, stopping herself right at the edge of the walkway. Mostly because she spotted two somewhat familiar figures sitting on the beach in the distance, just staring out at the rippling water. A streak of brown and a spot of red, in the middle of a span of pale gold sand. You didn’t draw much landscape, but she noted to herself that she would draw this scene out later, this sight of Hanamaru and Ruby sitting next to each other and basking in the sun. It was very sweet, and You found herself smiling despite the bitter twinge she felt at the sight of them.

She wondered idly if she should go up to greet them or not. It didn’t seem like they were doing anything, but at the same time it felt weird to intrude on their personal time, even if You wasn’t sure if they were together in that sense.

But, it was also a rare opportunity to learn about the ever elusive Tsushima Yoshiko, since Hanamaru was the one who first stood up for her against Aoki. Unlike the problem with Chika, this was an issue she could actually do something about. Weighing up her options, You finally threw caution to the wind and approached the pair.

When she got closer, she was surprised to see that Hanamaru was actually asleep, napping on Ruby’s shoulder. Since it was pretty much just the three of them on the beach, Ruby noticed her approach from a long way away, and waved cutely at her. Seeing that Ruby seemed welcoming, You went up to them and sat a short distance away, within talking range but not too close.

“G-good morning, Ms. Watanabe— ah, I mean, morning… Y-You.” Ruby started shyly, her cheeks coloring quickly. You lamented how she was never that cute when she was a first year, and nodded politely in greeting.

“Morning, Ruby.” You grinned, kicking back and digging her fingers into the sand, her body facing the sun and the sea. The warm rays and the cool breeze cancelled each other out, leaving You at a pleasantly agreeable temperature. “Enjoying the weather, I see? It’s a good day today.”

“Mhmm. Hanamaru had some free time, so we came out here…” Ruby smiled fondly at the mention of the sleeping girl, and that practically confirmed You’s suspicions. She’d seen that expression before, on her own face in the earliest days of her crush towards Chika, before she developed her mask that she wore around the girl. Without a doubt, the expression of a girl in love. “And then she got a little drowsy, so we sat down… and now I’m kind of stuck.”

You chuckled, resolutely refusing to allow the pang of jealous in her heart to spoil the moment. Turning away from the pair and staring back out to sea, she mulled things over for a few seconds before asking tentatively, “do you mind if I ask you a question?”

“What is it?” Ruby glanced at You, tilting her head curiously.

“Who… erm, maybe I’m assuming too much, but who, um, started things between you two?” You asked, coughing a little to cover up her awkwardness. She couldn’t believe she was going to take romantic advice - or at least take inspiration - from her juniors. But, shame be damned.

“Eh? Ah, um, umm…” Ruby went bright red at the question, clearly flustered by the implications of it. “W-was it that obvious?”

“Kind of, yeah,” You chuckled. “I’m… a little jealous of you two, if I’m being honest.”

“Umm…” Ruby looked away, embarrassed. Poking the sand with a finger, she explained, “A-actually, it was Dia… she noticed I had, um, a crush for Hanamaru, and encouraged me to talk to her about it…”

You blinked. Of all the people, she didn’t expect Kurosawa Dia to encourage dating at a young age. Then again, it was probably a case of separating the private and working life. Nodding along, You waited patiently as Ruby struggled with her story.

“Because, um… The thing is, Hanamaru wasn’t really confident back then, so she didn’t notice the hints I was giving her… I had to really be direct, it was so embarrassing…”

She buried her face in her knees, the motion apparently rousing Hanamaru from her nap.

“Mmm… Ruby…” She reached out and glomped Ruby, sleepily pulling close to her. “You’re warm, zura…”

“Eh?! H-Hanamaru, w-wait a sec, there’s someone else here!” Ruby floundered in a panic as Hanamaru squeezed her tightly in a hug, only settling down when Hanamaru managed to parse the statement, letting go after a few seconds. “It’s, um, it’s Watanabe You. Remember her?”

“Hmm…? Oh! Hello, zura.” Hanamaru turned around, smiling drowsily at You. Her cheeks dimpled a little when she did. “What brings you here?”

God, please protect these two blessed children, You felt her heart seize up a little. It was definitely improving her mood, just being around these two pure cinnamon rolls. Crying herself out helped a little, but talking to Ruby and now Hanamaru was working miracles on her emotions.

“Well, I was just passing by and noticed you two. I was chatting with Ruby just now,” You explained, gesturing at the girl.

“Oh. What about?” Hanamaru asked, her posture slowly slouching again as she went back to leaning against Ruby.

You glanced at Ruby, who was trying her best not to turn bright red. She gave You a pleading look, shaking her head ever so slightly. You smirked, and shrugged. “You know. Just, stuff. The weather.”

She paused, before starting again, “But actually, that reminds me, there’s something I wanted to talk to you two about.”

“Oh?” Hanamaru and Ruby glanced at each other curiously, before looking back to You.

“Yeah. It’s… it’s about Tsushima Yoshiko.” As soon as You mentioned Yoshiko’s name, a look of understanding came to both Ruby and Hanamaru, and they nodded quickly, sitting up to a more proper position. “Since it looked like you knew her.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say we know her that well,” Ruby started, hesitantly at first.

Hanamaru nodded, and continued, “She’s in our class, but she keeps to herself, zura. We actually went to the same kindergarten, but she’s changed a lot since then. It’s like she’s a whole new person, zura…”

“Not that she’s a trouble maker, or anything.” Hanamaru clarified hastily. “She’s just… quiet, zura.”

“Tsushima usually just listens in class. Oh, and she always carries a laptop around. We don’t know what she uses it for, though,” Ruby looked at Hanamaru for confirmation, who nodded.

“We’ve tried to talk to her before, zura. But she always told us to go away,” Hanamaru said, looking down. Then a look of indignation and anger appeared on her face as she said, “That, or that bully Aoki chases her away.”

“Aoki.” You scowled. Of course she had a hand in this, You had expected that was the case.

“We were, um, we were actually thinking about talking to you about that, too,” Ruby said, which caused You to raise an eyebrow in surprise. “Because unlike most of the other girls in class, you don’t seem afraid of her. And Tsushima listens to you too. Ruby has never seen anyone other than a teacher engage her in a conversation as long as you have.”

Hanamaru nodded. “Maru had the idea that, maybe you could help introduce us to Yoshiko, zura? We want to get closer to her, but on our own there’s not much we can do… But I think you can help us change things around, zura.”

“So… I think you can be our wing-woman, zura!” Hanamaru concluded, reaching out and clasping You’s hands earnestly, her eyes shining with excitement.

Looking at her, You decided that coming to the beach and talking to them was probably one of the best decisions she’s made in her life. Smiling, she gave Hanamaru’s hands a quick squeeze.

“I think that’s a wonderful idea, Hanamaru. Let’s do it!” She grinned toothily, feeling hopeful for the first time since the start of this long, torturous week. She was going to do this. She really was.

_Yoshiko, prepare to be friendshipped!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taking a short break while going through exams - but I'll be back soon! I tried to write a conclusive turning point so You's not stuck being down in the dumps for a week. 
> 
> I also probably need to go look for an editor because I can't spot mistakes for the life of me :p


	7. Full Disclosure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The moment my last exam was over I fell cripplingly sick and spent a whole day in bed. The result of my feverish boredom is this chapter. Enjoy :3

You woke up buzzing with excitement. After her talk with Ruby and Hanamaru, and the plan to finally get Yoshiko to come around was settled, the weekend practically flew by in the blink of an eye, a blur of diving practice and swimming and hastily done homework. It was like talking to the pair had revitalized You, lifting her from out of the mire that she’s been stuck in for the past week. The innocent positivity of the pair seemed to have rubbed off on her, and she felt lighter, happier, as she went through her morning routine, brushing up and changing into her uniform before grabbing her breakfast and lunch and running out the door to catch the bus.

There was just something about the two of them that inspired optimism in people, at least in You’s mind. After they finalized the plan to befriend Yoshiko, which was quite simple - Hanamaru and Ruby would try to get her to open up while You kept Aoki and her goons off their backs - the conversation had drifted off into other topics. You was surprised how well the three of them fit despite being a year apart and having barely talked before. 

You asked the two about their lives, how they were dealing with high school, how they were liking Ura Girls. They asked You about school work, her opinion on different clubs, if she had any advice for staying on top of the workload at school. You found herself meshing well with Ruby’s love for fashion and style, even if it was a little different from her passion for uniforms. It was a conversation steeped in nostalgia - it reminded You of when she and Chika were first years, worriedly badgering Kanan for advice.

“Good morning~!” 

You looked up. The bus had already made it to the Tochiman inn without her realizing, and Chika had gotten on, followed by Riko close behind. She waved at them, and Chika waved back energetically, walking down the aisle to the back of the bus and sitting down next to You.

“You look chipper today.” You commented, looking over Chika. She was bubbly as usual, maybe even a little more so than usual , as she seemed to vibrate ever so slightly in her seat. “Something good happen over the weekend?”

She paused, wondering briefly if it was worth vocalizing the question in her head. 

“Was it your _date_ with Riko?” You thought she played it off as a joke quite well. There was almost no bitterness in the question. Almost.

Thankfully, no one caught the slight edge You subconsciously put into the question. Riko just blushed bright red at the question, while Chika laughed and punched You on the shoulder playfully.

“I’ll tell you if you tell me more about Tsushima Yoshiko. Are you gonna ask her out or are you just going to keep creeping for her personal information?” Chika grinned toothily, ruby eyes flashing with that familiar mischievous glint that You grew to adore over the years. 

“Uh…” Lost in Chika’s eyes for a moment, it took You a second to come back to reality, a sophisticated grunt escaping her mouth before she could stop herself. “No?”

She paused, processing Chika’s question.

“Hey! I don’t creep for personal information!”

“Sure you don’t~” Chika stuck her tongue out at her, blowing a quiet raspberry and making a kid near the front of the bus giggle.

“Chika, you’re being too loud…” Riko muttered, embarrassed at the minor commotion the two of them were causing on the bus.

“Spoilsport,” Chika pouted, though she did stop teasing You. “You’re not my real mom.”

“I’m not,” Riko retorted, “But I know your real mom and I know she’s not amused about the noise complaints the neighbors keep giving her.”

Chika grimaced, and sighed, crossing her arms. “Fine, I’ll be good for the rest of the trip, _mom_.”

You sighed quietly, relishing the moment of inane banter. It was weird to think how quickly Riko had become part of her daily routine, but once she got used to the new girl it was like she was always there, providing the voice of reason that You and Chika had always lacked. The idle chatter distracted her from the fact that she’d be talking to Yoshiko again at school.

She was excited for it, but also nervous. Would she be mad at her for talking to her again? Would she be willing to talk to Hanamaru and Ruby? Unanswered questions floated around her head, only worsening as the three of them got off the bus and got to school.

You always thought she was perceptive, but trying to read Yoshiko was like trying to read a book with missing pages. It felt like there was a whole part of her that was hidden away, tucked out of You’s view, and because of that, You couldn’t understand her at all. What did she want? Why didn’t she want to talk?

What was Yoshiko hiding behind that mask of aloof indifference, that she had to keep it on all the time, until it virtually became her real face? 

You was a simple girl, lived a simple, straightforward life. There was only one way to find out that You could get behind, and that was asking her directly, even if it was a daunting prospect for her. You wasn’t usually one to back away from a challenge, but when it came to Yoshiko, You was uncharacteristically hesitant, something Chika had picked up on and took in a completely wrong direction.

But, if she could summon up the guts for this, maybe she could summon up the guts to talk to Chika… You found herself thinking that to herself as she pushed through the morning classes. You tried to recall the early days of her diving training, back to her first high dive. She was terrified but exhilarated at the same time, as she peered over the edge of the board, only a few meters above water but seeming like a thousand miles to her young self.

And now she was in love with high diving; You wondered if all good things were this terrifying at first. Diving. Chika. Yoshiko. She then wondered if she would ever stop being able to make diving metaphors for everything, and at the realization that no, probably not, high diving was as much a part of her as mikan for Uchiura, the recess bell rang, cutting their Japanese literature teacher off mid-sentence.

She blinked, looking up. Time had flown by without her noticing. Her notebook was empty, save for a tiny doodle, and three periods had come and gone. She stared at the tiny Yoshiko, sitting in the corner of the page, and shook her head incredulously. The girl was going to take over her life if she didn’t do something about it.

Standing up, she sidled out of the classroom while Chika was occupied by Riko — the last thing she needed was more snarky remarks from the dumb mikan — and made her way towards the first years’ classroom, where Hanamaru and Ruby were already waiting for her at the door.

“Did I keep you waiting?” Hanamaru and Ruby waved as she approached, and she responded with a little salute of her own.

It made her a little self-conscious that an audible titter went through the throng of first years trailing behind her when she did the salute, even if she really ought to be used to it by now. Hanamaru and Ruby glanced awkwardly at the crowd, and You shrugged helplessly. There wasn’t much she could do about them.

“Um… no, the bell just went off, so…” Ruby gave the crowd one last uncomfortable look before gesturing at the classroom. “Tsushima is sitting inside. Aoki isn’t anywhere to be seen, thankfully…”

You peered inside the classroom. It was mostly emptied out, the first years either spectating You or out to get some fresh air, away from the musty classrooms. But sure enough, Yoshiko was sitting in a corner, her laptop opened up on the table, her eyes glued to the screen.

She glanced back at Hanamaru. “Well, sooner better than later, right?”

“Of course, zura,” Hanamaru nodded, and after a deep breath, started walking towards Yoshiko.

You found herself considering how overblown this whole operation was, considering the end goal was just to make friends with a girl. They were skulking around and had backup plans for when people like Aoki might interfere, like kids playing make-believe. She wondered when her life starting spinning out of control — probably when she first met Chika, that fateful day when the Takami family went on a cruise with the Watanabe family.

Yoshiko didn’t seem to react to them at first, continuing to stare at her screen until You got close, whereupon she calmly closed the lid of the laptop, her expression blank save for a very faint frown. Her eyes wandered over the classroom quickly before settling on her hands, which were folded delicately on top of her laptop.

“Watanabe,” She muttered, her voice barely audible. “What do you want? I thought I told you to stay away.”

She sounded tired, like every breath had to be dragged out of her. You swallowed - she wanted to ask her if she was okay, but she knew she wouldn’t get a straight answer. “I’m just along for the ride with these two.”

Yoshiko glanced at Hanamaru and Ruby when You mentioned them, like she’d just noticed them. Hanamaru waved nervously, and cleared her throat. 

“Umm… Yoshiko?” Hanamaru asked tentatively. “I know we haven’t talked much… or talked at all… this school year, but… do you remember me, zura? From—”

“Kindergarten, yes,” Yoshiko spoke up suddenly. “Many years ago. Why talk to me now, Kunikida?”

Hanamaru shrunk back a little, taken aback by Yoshiko’s attitude. She was almost aggressive, at least as aggressive as she could be while hunched over and muttering in a dark voice.

“W-Well… we were friends back then, zura…” Hanamaru continued hesitantly. “I thought, um, we could be friends now?”

Yoshiko’s gaze was razor-sharp as she stared at Hanamaru for a moment, before turning sharply to You. “You put her up to this, didn’t you? I told you to stay away so you find someone else to do it again?”

You shifted uncomfortably. It was unsettlingly close to the truth - You did talk to Hanamaru and Ruby because she was out of ideas herself. But it wasn’t like what Yoshiko was talking about, so You shook her head and said, “That’s not it. If I wanted to talk to you, I wouldn’t hide behind someone else. I’ll just come up to you and talk.”

“Even if I told you to stay away?” Yoshiko sat a little straighter, her eyes fixed on You. The frustration was clear in her voice. “I said it once, I’ll say it again, you shouldn’t have anything to do with me. It’s for the best.”

You bit her lip. They were getting nowhere. Yoshiko was determinedly obstinate, and You didn’t think the annoyance in her voice was faked. Meanwhile Hanamaru looked like she had lost all of the motivation she had before, and Ruby was gently holding Hanamaru’s hand while simultaneously hiding behind her, trying her best to support Hanamaru while staying out of the line of fire.

She was about to give an irritated retort of her own when she felt her blood pressure hike at just a sound. Specifically, a voice. A very familiar, very rage inducing one.

“Well, if it isn’t Watanabe, Kunikida and Kurosawa, here to visit the lifeless freak.”

You narrowed her eyes and turned around, glaring at Aoki leaning against the doorway. “This is none of your business, Aoki. Get lost.”

“What, can’t I be in my own classroom?” Aoki crossed her arms and swaggered in, followed by her army of wannabes. She sat down a few desks away from where You, Yoshiko, Hanamaru and Ruby were, and gave You a sneer. “I don’t really want to hear that from the displaced second year…”

You scowled. It seemed in over the weekend, Aoki had thought things over as well. She wasn’t pulling any punches anymore. It appeared as though You’s social authority was null and void in her eyes, which meant she wasn’t going to stop just because You told her to.

Turning around so she was sitting with her chest against the back of the chair, Aoki gave the assembled girls a once over, a particularly disinterested look on her face, like she was looking over a boring patch of dirt. “So, what does the crybaby, country hick and dumb jock want with the weirdo in the corner?”

“What we do is none of your business, zura!” Hanamaru said hotly, glowering at Aoki. Ruby tugged back at Hanamaru, which was probably the only thing keeping her from jumping forward.

“No, you’re right,” Aoki shrugged, and turned away from them, glancing at her pack of followers. “Why would I want to know what a hick wants with a freak? It’s really nothing worth learning about…”

You narrowly resisted the urge to throw a book at Aoki as her followers giggled maliciously, instead settling for clenching her hands so tightly the knuckles turned white. “You’re going too far, Aoki. You’re going to get into trouble again. Shut up and this doesn’t have to get any worse.”

Aoki sneered at You, giving her the most obnoxious, grating, high-pitched laugh. “Of course I am, because crybaby Kurosawa there can’t sit for two minutes without running to her sister for help, right?”

“T-That’s not…” Ruby stammered, and with practiced fluidity, Hanamaru wrapped her arms protectively around her as the girl started sniffling. Hanamaru glared at Aoki. “You don’t talk to Ruby like that, zura! Ruby’s a thousand times braver than you’ll ever be, zura! Can you even go anywhere without your posse?”

Aoki narrowed her eyes dangerously. “Watch your tongue, fatty, or I’ll—” 

Yoshiko stood up, her chair falling over with a loud clatter. 

The room fell silent as all eyes were fixed on her.

“Shut up.”

She grabbed her laptop and ran, bolting out of the room before You or anyone else could even call her name.

There was a pause as everyone took a moment to process this. You stared at the doorway where Yoshiko had run out, wondering if she should go catch up to her. If she could even track her down. But before You could really react, Aoki suddenly laughed, clapping and laughing in a whiny, high-pitched way. Like a hyena, somewhat.

“Did you see her? She just- she just ran away! I guess she finally realized she doesn’t belong here, huh?” Aoki smirked, waving her hand causally like she was referring to trash or something equally inconsequential. “She _can_ learn something, after all.”

Her crowd giggled, and for a moment it seemed as though they had forgotten about the three of them in the corner, until Hanamaru cleared her throat, her arms at her side, her fists balled up in anger. Her gold eyes seemed to burn as she glared at Aoki.

“Stop making fun of Yoshiko, zura!” Hanamaru shouted, looking like she was going to pounce at Aoki if not for Ruby holding onto her for dear life. “She doesn’t deserve it, zura!”

“Doesn’t deserve it? Have you even _seen_ her, Kunikida?” Aoki sneered at Hanamaru. “She’s _weird._ She looks weird. She acts weird. She never puts down her computer and never talks to anyone. When she does, she sounds like some kind of medieval wannabe. _She’s not normal_.”

“Even if that were true, you’re taking it way too far, zura!” Hanamaru glared at Aoki. If looks could kill, Aoki would have been dead a thousand times over, from both You and Hanamaru’s glares. “You’re just a bully! You just a good-for-nothing bully, you… you parasite!”

“M-maru, that’s enough, um, please calm down, um, please?” Ruby looked like she was expending all of her strength just to hold Hanamaru back. She glanced at You desperately, and for a moment You thought she wanted You’s help with the situation, before she realized that Ruby had mouthed something to her.

_Chase her._

You paused, looking at her, as though asking if she was sure. Ruby nodded, and You felt her respect for the girl rise exponentially. Turning around, she didn’t waste a moment in taking off after Yoshiko, weaving past the crowd watching the spectacle around the door to the classroom and running towards the stairs. She didn’t know for sure where Yoshiko was, but for some reason, by some kind of miracle, she had a gut feeling that she knew where she was.

Sprinting up the stairwell, You praised all the training she went through that let her keep running up five flights of stairs as she almost fell through the already-open rooftop door, to find Yoshiko sat in the same corner she was when You first saw her.

Yoshiko lifted her head when she heard You approach, hugging her laptop close to her chest.

“What do you want, Watanabe?” 

Her eyes were narrowed so You couldn’t see if they were red or not, but her voice was thick, like she was close to crying. 

You hesitated. What _did_ she want? All this effort, what did she want from Yoshiko? Another rejection? Another refusal? She bit her lip, feeling her chest rise and fall from the sprint. 

“Are you okay?” She finally asked, her voice quiet. 

Yoshiko was silent for a moment as she stared at You, violet eyes meeting blue. “Am I okay?” She slowly rose to her feet, shoulders shaking slightly. “Am _I_ okay?” 

Her face twisted into a vicious snarl and You couldn’t help but take a step back at her expression - she was angry. _Very_ angry.

“What about _you_? _What the Hell is wrong with you?!_ ” Yoshiko growled, taking a step forward. “Do you _want_ your standing in this school to come crashing down? And not just your own, but Kurosawa and Hanamaru’s as well? Is that what you’re trying to do? Because if it is, you’re doing an _amazing_ job, I can tell you that much. Aoki’s just _drooling_ at the ammunition you’re giving her.”

The sudden outburst caught You completely off guard, and she was only able to watch mutely as Yoshiko continued on her tirade, “I’ve told Hanamaru this, I’ve told Kurosawa this, and now I’m telling you here: _I’m not worth the trouble._ Aoki will _destroy_ your life in this school, and a nobody who brings nothing but misfortune like me is _not_ worth that.”

Taking a deep breath, Yoshiko seemed to calm herself down a little and turned away from You, inching back a few paces. “So please. Stay away. You shouldn’t associate yourself with someone like me.”

You bit her lip, her hand half reached out towards Yoshiko. “Do you… do you really think of yourself like that? A worthless nobody?”

Yoshiko laughed, though it sounded hollow and false to You’s ears. “It’s the truth.”

“It can’t be,” You shook her head. “You’re not worthless.”

“You don’t know that,” Yoshiko glanced back at You. “You have no idea. Someone like you, popular and charismatic and talented, wouldn’t understand someone like me.”

“Maybe you’re right, maybe I don’t really know you, but that’s just because you never gave me the chance to get to know you in the first place!” You crossed her arms. “Look, I’m sure if we just tried we’d find something special about you—”

“You’re not listening to me, Watanabe! There’s nothing about me that’s worth your time, if you know what’s good for you—“

“—And you’re not listening to me, either! I’m telling you, you can’t just go and say you’re worthless and expect me to just ignore that—”

“—I’m not worth the trouble! How many times am I going to have to—”

“— _Of course you’re worth the trouble you idiot!_ ”

You finally snapped, grabbing Yoshiko by the shoulders and spinning her around so the two were facing each other. You could finally see Yoshiko’s eyes, red-rimmed and watery, and she could feel her whole body shaking from an abundance of emotions roiling inside her. 

You didn’t know why Yoshiko was so self-depreciating. How she came to see herself as worthless. But now that she knew that Yoshiko pushing her away was some kind of misguided self-sacrifice to protect her, there was no way You could let go of her. It wasn’t the Watanabe way to just leave someone in need. Not that she was going to before, but now the revelation only strengthened her resolve.

“Tsushima Yoshiko, I don’t know what your deal is, but enough is enough. You’re trying to protect my social standing. I get it. You’re trying to shield me from the fallout of being friends with someone unpopular.” 

You paused, trying to come up with something to say. Unbidden, the words that Yohane said to her came to her mind, the words that had given her motivation after her breakdown over Chika. 

Staring fiercely into Yoshiko’s eyes, she continued, “But you’re going about it the wrong way. You’re hurting yourself. I don’t want to be protected if it means you’re getting hounded by assholes like Aoki. A friend of mine once told me that everybody has their own worth. I won’t let you hurt yourself anymore until you find your worth.”

Yoshiko was at a loss for words, mutely shaking her head for a moment. After a long pause, she finally spoke up, her voice little more than a hoarse whisper.

“I said that because it’s you, you idiot,” Yoshiko muttered, and You’s eyes widened as she understood the meaning behind her words. “I said that because I know you’re special, and I know that you deserve better than to have your feelings be ignored. I didn’t… I didn’t mean _me_ when I said everyone has their worth…”

“Y-Yohane…?” You murmured, in disbelief. 

Yoshiko was Yohane? The girl standing in front of her was somehow the player that had dominated the entire Japanese server in Immortal Legends? You’s mind spun at the thought. It made no sense. But at the same time, it made so much sense. It explained her slip-up on Saturday, when she called You by her name. 

And it called up an old memory, too. When they initially met, when You was returning her lunchbox. Yoshiko had almost introduced herself as Yohane. You stared at the girl in front of her, as all the pieces fell into place. “You… you really are Yohane, aren’t you?”

Tears suddenly sprung up in Yoshiko’s eyes, running down her cheeks, and she shook her head vigorously, the motion messing up her hair. “I’m not… that’s not… this isn’t a game, Watanabe! Life isn’t as simple as that. I’m a nobody here. I’m Yoshiko, worthless. Useless.”

“Stop that. Stop saying that, you’re not worthless - just let me _help_ you…” You tried to say, before Yoshiko cut her off again.

“Don’t. I’m just going to cause trouble for you - for all of you. Hanamaru and Kurosawa as well. Just… go. Please.” Yoshiko stepped back, brushing away You’s hands and shuffling unsteadily backwards. 

“Before the misfortune takes hold and you regret your decision.”

The bell rang, signaling the end of break. As the sound echoed through the rooftop, neither You nor Yoshiko spoke, just stared at each other silently. As the bell tolls trailed off into silence, You finally spoke up.

“You need to stop being so damn self-important, Tsushima Yoshiko. The world isn’t going to stop just because you ask it to. I’m not going to leave you alone just because you told me to, especially not after this. You can’t tell me what to do. You know, after you left, Hanamaru almost hit Aoki for making fun of you. Ruby was upset, too. I’m sure they feel the same way I do.”

“You’re not alone in this.” 

Yoshiko bit her lip, staring at You with red-rimmed eyes. Her shoulders shook slightly as she took a deep breath, Then she lowered her head, and suddenly broke into a run. You’s gaze followed her as she ran past her, and she sighed as Yoshiko disappeared down the stairwell.

Was she too harsh? No, she said what she had to say - Yoshiko had to understand that her self-imposed martyrdom wasn’t what You wanted. All that was left was to see if she was receptive. Sighing again, You took her phone out and winced when she realized she was a few minutes late already. By the time she got back to the classroom the next period had already started, and she got told off by her teacher.

As she got back into her seat, Chika leaned over and whispered, “I heard there was a fight in the first year classroom. Was that you?”

You grimaced. News traveled fast - especially if it was about the closest thing to a local celebrity Ura Girls had. “A little. Tried to talk to Yoshiko, but a bully got in the way.”

“You really should stop picking fights with your juniors,” Chika said, smirking. “It’s bad practice.”

You sniffed grumpily and turned away, not really in a good mood enough to banter with Chika, after the argument with Yoshiko. Chika stared at her for a while, shrugged, and turned back to her own notes. “If you wanna talk, I’ll listen. I always have.”

 _If only it was that easy._ You sighed, peeking at Chika before focusing on the class herself. Talking to Yoshiko about making friends was exhausting enough, she wasn’t sure if she had the mental fortitude to come clean about her feelings for Chika. Besides, she didn’t even know if her talk with Yoshiko had paid off. If she couldn’t even be friends with Yoshiko, what chance did she have with Chika?

The classes dragged by at a snail’s crawl, leaving You to stew in her frustration. She replayed her argument with Yoshiko, regretting every harsh word she said, hoping she could do it all over again. She had so much she wanted to tell Yoshiko, but she just ended up chewing her out. Something about seeing her beating herself up like that just pissed You off - maybe because it went against her personal philosophy. Or maybe because it reminded her of herself. 

After what felt like an eternity of agonizing over her utter failure to talk to girls, whether friendly or romantic, the lunch bell finally sounded, and You immediately bolted to her feet, itching to do anything other than just sit and listen. “Let’s go to lunch! Chika, lunch. Come on~~”

“Sure, just hang on a sec, Riko’s still taking notes…” Chika glanced over at the girl, who was quickly scribbling down the last few lines of notes into her notebook.

You rolled her eyes - if there was one bone she could pick with Riko (aside from the obvious) it was her being too serious about… well, just about anything, from schoolwork to the food she ate. 

Looking out of the classroom window, down to the courtyard, You paused as she noticed an incredible sight: Yoshiko, regardless of unwilling and grumpy she looked, was sitting sandwiched between Ruby and Hanamaru, picking away at her lunchbox. Hanamaru said something that made Ruby laugh out loud, and maybe it was wishful thinking, but You could almost swear she saw the corners of Yoshiko’s mouth curl up in a smile.

Unbidden, without realizing it, You found herself smiling softly, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm bad with writing arguments?? because I want my girls to just get along so it's hard for me to have them be antagonistic to each other... hopefully now they'll be more amiable the next time they meet.  
> The story is starting to move up to its climax as You overcomes her worries and starts confronting her feels, while Yoshiko slowly comes out of her shell. What will happen next? Will You ever stop being such a big gay? Will Chika get any characterization other than being a dumb mikan? Will I actually get to any promised fluff or will that have to be left for the inevitable sequel?  
> Find out next time, on Dragon Ball Z!


	8. Step! Zero to One

You stared intently at her laptop screen, watching her Immortal Legends avatar circle a giant stone golem, peppering it with fireballs and bolts of demonic energy. Her eye darted to the angel at the golem’s back, hacking away at it with a golden sword. It was not the angel usually with her - not Yohane. Instead it was Chika’s character, an angelic knight clad in white armor and wielding a sword and shield.

“Hold it back for another 5 seconds, my skill’s still on recharge.”

_“On it.”_

You had recently (ten minutes ago) discovered that Immortal Legends had the voice chat function. She never got to use it with Yohane - or was it Yoshiko? - But when Chika pointed it out, they tried it out immediately, going into a neutral dungeon to take down a boss to test the connection.

It was strange to play with someone her level again, after partnering with Yohane for most of her play time. Compared to the pro-level fallen angel, Chika was clearly less experienced, making many of the mistakes that Yohane had scolded You for making herself. She had charged straight in to challenge the boss, when Yohane had taught You to put herself in an advantageous position first.

Then again, You’s character had less defense than Chika’s heavily armored knight, so maybe it worked differently for her. She glanced down at her skill bar - aside from her basic fireballs, all of her other spells were still on cooldown. As she watched, though, her flamewhip spell refreshed, and she immediately cast it, her character conjuring a rope made of burning flames that wrapped around the golem’s legs and sent it crashing down into the ground, where Chika was eagerly waiting to smash away at its face.

_“Nice! I forgot you could do that with flamewhip. Did Yohane teach you that?”_

You grimaced as she recalled Yohane - Yoshiko - and the bad terms on which they had left each other. Sure, Yoshiko was talking to Hanamaru and Ruby, but with how they had parted with an argument, You wasn’t sure if they relationship was any better than when Yoshiko had turned her down the first time. In fact, it might just be worse than before.

“Yeah. I was just using it as an attack before, I didn’t even know you could use it to trip people up.”

_“That’s a pro for you,”_ Chika said, admiration clear in her voice. _“I can’t even imagine how it must feel like to be friends with someone like her. Well, I kinda can. But not really. Kinda not really.”_

“It feels weird. She’s kind of just a person, but it’s like she’s so far away sometimes.” You mumbled, while switching to a freshly recharged volcano spell and casting it under the golem, causing the ground beneath the stone giant to turn into a pool of roiling magma, blasting the boss with a burst of fire and brimstone.

“She’s just kind of… there, you know? We talk, but it’s like I don’t know her at the same time, like she’s hiding something. It’s weird.”

Was she talking about Yohane or Yoshiko? You didn’t even know anymore. The fact that the two of them were one and the same was so strange. Yohane didn’t speak much about her personal life, but over the course of the past week or so they had been talking - well, in game chatting - late into the night every day, and You felt like she had come to understand somewhat who Yohane was.

Yohane was practically the best player on the Japan server, and rightfully so. She knew the mechanics of Immortal Legends inside and out, but even beyond her mastery of the game, she was confident, charismatic, and intelligent. Perhaps a little quirky due to her RPing, but still the image of a professional player in You’s eyes. When they played together, it felt like a fallen angel had actually descended and was aiding You.

Comparing that to the shy, withdrawn, somewhat hostile, socially awkward Yoshiko, the images just didn’t add up. They were like two completely different people - not that You knew Yoshiko well enough to make an accurate judgement, but from what she could see, Yohane and Yoshiko had virtually nothing in common, except maybe both having a penchant for theatrics and drama.

You sighed, tuning back into the game. The boss was on its last legs, battered to death by Chika’s sword and You’s fireballs. It made a lunge for Chika, but in its weakened state, it couldn’t even break her guard, its fist glancing off of Chika’s shield. It was the perfect opportunity to make a riposte counter attack, but it seemed Chika was too immersed in their conversation to pay too much attention to the game.

_“I getcha, girl! I get that feeling too, sometimes, when I’m talking to Riko.”_

“Riko? Really?”

Riko _again?_ You was _right there_ , and Chika was still talking about Riko. You didn’t even try to hide her frown, Chika couldn’t see her anyway. Her voice was a little quiet as she asked, “Don’t you know everything about Riko already?”

_“Haha, no… She’s a complicated gal, you know? Being from the city and all, we country girls can’t even compare. Sometimes I feel like she’s hiding something too. She’s always looking at the music room, for example, and I think she has a piano in her room. But I’ve never seen her play, or really do much music at all.”_

“Huh.”

You hadn’t even noticed that, even though the three of them spent most of their school time together. Chika was watching her that closely, huh? It explained why Chika didn’t suspect anything on You’s end, she wasn’t paying attention to her at all. You was both relieved and upset. It meant Chika wasn’t going to see how petty You had become, but at the same time…

“You really do like Riko, huh…” You muttered, downcast. Her hard-won good mood from operation befriend Yoshiko was wearing off, and she felt herself going back to her previous slump again. In the end, she supposed the feeling of mild success from getting Yoshiko out of her shell wasn’t enough to counter the never ending misery that was her feelings for Chika.

_“Well, I— omigosh it’s Yohane!”_

You looked up, just in time to see the familiar fallen angel obliterate the boss’ remaining HP with a single blast of magic. The boss exploded into a shower of glowing particles, and striding through it, was Yohane - Yoshiko - her arms crossed and head held high, an air of royalty about her.

Now that she had a frame of reference, You could definitely see some visual similarities between Yoshiko and Yohane. They both had silky dark hair, and piercing violet eyes. But where Yoshiko was sullen and looked a little pale, like she hadn’t seen enough sun, Yohane looked like the peak of physical perfection, with a lithe but powerful physique and a healthy complexion.

_“What is Yohane doing here?”_ Chika whispered excitedly, all keyboard activity ceasing on her end.

> _FallenAngelYohane: I would like to borrow Yousoro for a short while. Do you mind?_

_“Oh! Sure! Oh wait she can’t hear me, um…”_

> _ChikaChika: Yes!_
> 
> _ChikaChika: I mean no! I don’t mind._
> 
> _FallenAngelYohane: Thank you. I’ll even overlook the fact that you are of the Heavenly Host because of this…_

Oh, right. You remembered that in neutral areas, PVP was possible between the two factions. It wasn’t the first time that her and Yohane had taken down angels during their sessions, but it didn’t occur to You that Chika might’ve been under threat. While she was thinking, the private chat icon lit up, and You clicked into the chatlog between her and Yohane to find a message already there.

> _FallenAngelYohane: Cooperating with angels? I thought I taught you better._
> 
> _Yousoro: She’s a friend._
> 
> _FallenAngelYohane: I guessed as much._
> 
> _Yousoro: Don’t kill her please!!!_
> 
> _FallenAngelYohane: Since you asked so nicely, I’ll let her leave in peace._

You smiled. At least Yohane… Yoshiko was in a good enough mood to joke. But the smile quickly faded away when she read what she sent next:

> _FallenAngelYohane: But… we need to talk._

Of course. You was naive in hoping that their friendship in Immortal Legends would be unaffected by their argument in real life. You took a deep breath, steeling herself for whatever came next.

> _Yousoro: About this morning?_
> 
> _FallenAngelYohane: About this morning._

It was just as she expected. You closed her eyes for a moment, before typing quickly:

> _Yousoro: Can we voicechat?_

There was a long, long pause before she got a response. For a while, she wasn’t even sure if Yoshiko was still on the other side. Maybe she walked off, hence the long silence.

> _FallenAngelYohane: Why?_
> 
> _Yousoro: The cat’s out of the bag anyway. It’s easier to talk than to type, right?_
> 
> _FallenAngelYohane: …_
> 
> _FallenAngelYohane: I suppose._
> 
> _FallenAngelYohane: Give me a moment._
> 
> _Yousoro: ^ ^_

After a few minutes of agonizing waiting, the voice chat icon next to Yohane’s name in You’s friend’s list lit up, signifying that she was available for voice chatting. Biting her lip, she quickly told Chika that she had to hang up their call before quickly switching over to Yohane’s call channel.

As soon as she connected into Yohane’s channel, she heard the hum of electronics and the drone of machinery - probably an AC unit - in the background. There was a quiet rustle of fabric, maybe clothes. But no talking, only a faint, almost imperceptible breathing, nearly buried under the ambient noise.

Yoshiko.

You found herself holding her breath as well, without really realizing it. Yoshiko could probably also hear the background noise from You’s end. The birds outside her window, the crashing waves right outside her doorstep, maybe even the hoovering downstairs where her mother was cleaning up.

_“…Watanabe? Are you there?”_

Finally, the familiar voice of Yoshiko sounded in her ears, and You jumped, startled. She was so absorbed in trying to catch the details of the ambience from Yoshiko’s side that she didn’t even realize she was silent the whole time. She fumbled for a moment, taking a second to regain her composure.

“I’m here,” She said, wincing when her voice cracked from the nervousness. Maybe turning on voicechat was a mistake.

…But she wanted to hear Yoshiko’s voice. So it was a price she had to pay.

“What do you want?” She stopped, realizing how aggressive that might’ve sounded. Breathing in ( _Calm down, Watanabe, You’ve been through worse,_ ) she shook her head and tried again. “What— did you want to talk about?”

_“Um… about this morning. I wanted to apologize. I… lost my temper. That was unbecoming of me. And, um, disrespectful to you, too.”_ A sharp intake of breath. _“I… uh, called you an idiot, too. That was… rude.”_

“Oh.” You breathed out. She thought it was going to be more severe—

_“But.”_

Oh. She wasn’t done yet.

_“But also… I’m not going to take back what I said. I wasn’t joking when I said you could get hurt from being friends with me.”_

You bit her lip. So she didn’t listen to her after all. At least it seemed she was willing to be reasonable about it this time, so they didn’t have to shout at each other.

“Yoshiko…” _“Yohane.”_ “What?”

_“Call me Yohane when we’re in this world.”_ Yoshiko - _Yohane_ \- sounded very resolute. _“That is who I am.”_

“Okay…” You was a little taken aback, but let it slide. She supposed Yohane was an RPer in the end. “Yohane. Aren’t you being a little too pessimistic? I mean, it’s not as though Aoki can do anything to _actually_ hurt me.”

_“Perhaps not physically, but the mortal mind is vulnerable. I’ve seen it happen. I don’t want that to happen to you.”_

She’s seen it happen? You frowned, but piecing together some of the things she’d heard, she made a cautious guess. “Is it something you’ve seen in your old school? I know you studied in Numazu before…”

_“That’s none of your business.”_

“Alright, alright.” Touchy subject, then. You sighed, but she knew that she had crossed a line there. It wasn’t her place to dig into Yoshiko’s background.

“But… well, I don’t know how things work in Numazu, but in Uchiura, the people are kind. Maybe not everyone - not Aoki - but most of them are good people. Look at Hanamaru. Look at Ruby. They all want to help. No matter how much you try to keep to yourself, someone will reach out to you eventually. You’re not gonna be able to keep isolating yourself.”

You sighed, pursing her lips and waiting for a response from Yoshiko. The girl in question, though, stayed silent for a long, long while, the seconds stretching into minutes of awkward silence.

_“You don’t need a majority to hurt someone, Watanabe.”_ Yoshiko eventually said, quietly. _“You just need to be in the right place and the right time. You’d be surprised how easy it is to get hurt.”_

“I still think you’re being overly cautious.”

_“I think you’re not cautious enough.”_

“Then we’re at an impasse.” You crossed her arms, even though she knew Yoshiko couldn’t see her. She heard Yoshiko sigh, and take a deep breath. _“Why do you insist on being difficult?”_

“Because _you’re_ being difficult.”

_“I’m not.”_

“Are too.”

_“Am not.”_

“Are too.”

_“…This is childish and ridiculous.”_

“Yeah…” You conceded, closing her eyes.

Yoshiko was stubborn. This she knew, but she didn’t think it would be so bad that nothing You said could get through to her. It was like Chika, but Yoshiko was willingly being a brick wall instead of naturally being one. You rubbed at the bridge of her nose in frustration, pushing her glasses up a little bit when she noticed they were slipping down. Then, suddenly, Chika’s advice came to mind. She just had to keep beating and beating the idea into Yoshiko until it stuck.

_I’ll be damned. Chika was right after all._

“Fine. Let’s agree to disagree and move on.” You sighed, not wanting to drop the subject. But it was the only way she could think of to proceed - nothing would happen if she kept pushing at this deadlock. “I won’t talk to you at school, I can concede that - for now. But… can we keep talking here?”

_“That’s… fine. You are a valued member of my little demons.”_

“Well… in that case, I want you to call me You. Not Yousoro, not Watanabe. You.”

_“…Do I have to?”_

“If you wanna keep talking to me here, yes. Plus, you got to request a name, I should get to do it too.”

You straightened up, hoping Yoshiko wouldn’t call her bluff. There was no way that You would be closing off this last avenue of communication between them, too, but at the same time, You wanted to bring them closer, even if it was the tiniest step forward. Getting on a first name basis with Yoshiko - well, Yohane, but close enough - would be that first tiny step.

_“…”_ Yoshiko was silent for a few moments before slowly, reluctantly, speaking up again. _“Fine. You.”_

“See? It wasn’t that hard, now, was it?” You breathed out in relief, allowing herself a small bit of satisfaction. Again, it was just a small step, but it was a step nonetheless. With how it felt like she’d been running on the spot for the past week, it was a welcome change.

_“I suppose not. Although it’s hardly proper for a fallen angel to refer to her familiar by her first name…”_ Yoshiko grumbled. _“I’ll make an exception for you, Watana- You.”_

“Good,” You smirked, though it quickly shifted to an expression of curiosity. “But now that we’re on the matter of names… I’ve wanted to ask, how did you know this was my account?”

_“Are you… are you kidding?”_

“Huh?” You tilted her head, confused. “What do you mean?”

_“Great Lucifer, you’re not kidding…”_ She heard Yoshiko sigh. _“Your demon name is literally your catchphrase. An idiot could figure it out.”_

“…Oh,” You blushed. “Right.”

_“And you told me enough information for me to make an educated guess. When we were out on our hunts you often spoke of events that occurred in school. I simply put two and two together to come to the logical conclusion.”_

“Ah…”

You didn’t claim to be a master of subterfuge and lies.

“Should… should I change my username, then?”

_“If I’ll be honest, I don’t think anyone will be hunting you down via your demon name. You may be a local celebrity, but diving is hardly a high-profile claim to fame.”_

“Right, right…” You sighed, leaning back. Yes - small steps were fine. This was nice - just talking to Yoshiko, not needing to type through a keyboard or have a dramatic showdown on the rooftop, this was good enough for now. “Actually, that reminds me. I’m, um, I’m gonna be participating in the first swim meet of the season. It’s this coming saturday, in Numazu. I’ll be practicing hard for the next few days, so I won’t be able to play Immortal Legends until after the meet…”

_“I have heard of this meet, yes,”_ Yoshiko said. _“What about it?”_

“Um… I’d like you to come watch. You don’t need to talk to anyone or anything… just show up. You know, for support. I’d appreciate it,” You said haltingly.

_“Well… I live in Numazu - when I’m not projecting myself into Astral Planes - so I suppose that is doable.”_

“Great! That’s great.” You hesitated. “Um. Could I then ask another favor?”

_“…Ask, and the devil might respond.”_

“Uh… I’ll be asking my other friends along as well. Um… you remember our talk on Saturday?”

_“Talk?”_ Yoshiko hummed for a moment. _“Ah. Yes. The Talk.”_

“Um. The girl I like… uh, my friend… she’ll be there as well. With the other girl,” You bit her lip. Was she really going do this? Really? “Can you try and sit near them and… uh… tell me later if they, uh, um…”

_“If they act like a couple? If they flirt?”_

“Yes. Uh, that,” You finished lamely. “Please? I… need to know. Because I’m, um… If the meet goes well, I think I’m going to try and confess…”

_“Are you now?”_ Yoshiko sounded… strange. Like she was straining her vocal cords or something. She sounded like she was forcing herself to sound normal. _“That’s… good to hear.”_

“So… do you know Takami Chika? The girl who was with me when we first met?”

_“The ginger one?”_

“Yes, the ginger one.”

_“And the brunette, I presume.”_

“…Yes.” You felt dirty. She was asking Yoshiko to spy on her friends.

_“Very well. This is within Yohane’s power. I will do this for you.”_

“Yohane…” You put her hands together and bowed her head at the screen, even though Yoshiko couldn’t see her, though she could probably hear the sound. “Thanks so much.”

_“Go… let your love bloom. Or whatever. Topics of romance do not interest the fallen angel… but I will support you best I can,”_ Yoshiko paused. _“…One more question.”_

“Yes?”

You tilted her head expectantly.

_“Can I bring Hanamaru and Kurosawa as well?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a season of change... You is gearing up to confront her angst, and Yoshiko is slowly letting go of her reservations, even if she doesn't want to admit it. ChikaRiko continues to snowball, and You finally gets to do sports stuff and live up to her title of Ace!
> 
> It's about 2 in the morning my side of the world, and I'm very tired but don't want to drag my feet any longer. I might go and rewrite the end of this chapter later.
> 
> In any case, expect a timeskip next chapter.


	9. Change of Perspective (But just as Gay)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little look into Yoshiko's side of things.

“You’re late.”

Yoshiko said grumpily when Hanamaru and Ruby met up with her at the Numazu bus terminal. The pair grinned sheepishly. Yoshiko supposed it was Hanamaru - probably fretting over what to wear to the ‘big city’ Numazu and getting confused by vehicular transportation. Or something.

“Sorry, zura,” Hanamaru smiled apologetically, sticking her tongue out cutely. Yoshiko sighed - much about her stayed the same since kindergarten, the same slow, easygoing girl who was easily impressed by technology. But if she had to choose, she’d rather have Hanamaru as a friend than not, so she supposed she had to take the good with the bad.

“At least you’re here now, so we can go.” 

Yoshiko turned around abruptly and set off in the direction of the Numazu public pool. She wondered briefly if she should have initiated some kind of idle conversation, but she was never much good at it anyway, and she wasn’t so comfortable with Hanamaru and Ruby that she could just start a conversation easily.

Hanamaru and Ruby trailed after her, looking around at the sights. Yoshiko didn’t really get the appeal, but she supposed they weren’t as familiar with Numazu as she was. “Yoshiko, do you live nearby, zura?” Hanamaru asked suddenly, glancing at her.

Yoshiko shook her head. “I live a little bit away from the train station. It’s basically in the opposite direction.”

“Oh.” Hanamaru looked intrigued, looking in the direction that Yoshiko had talked about. 

“You can’t see it from here, though,” Yoshiko added quickly, and Hanamaru pouted, a little disappointed. Staring at the shorter girl for a moment, Yoshiko sighed. “I’ll invite you two sometime later, maybe.”

That seemed to satisfy her, and she smiled brightly at Ruby like she’d achieved something momentous. 

The walk from the bus station to the pool was a quick one - it was only a few minutes’ worth of walking if you knew the way, so before long the three of them came to the entrance of the pool. Even from a distance, the noise could already be heard, and the closer they got to the pool the louder the cheering was. Girls from all four of the involved schools were there, filling up the stands. Ura girls had their own small section near the middle.

Yoshiko was taken aback by the noise, for a moment. She preferred the quiet more, and briefly considered backing out.

“What’s the matter, Yoshiko?” Ruby asked tentatively, when she noticed Yoshiko wasn’t moving.

Yoshiko glanced at Ruby, then back at the pool entrance. “It’s louder than in the livesteams— I mean, louder than I thought it would be.”

Ruby looked concerned, but Yoshiko shook her head. “It’s nothing. Just surprised.” Ignoring the noise, she headed into the pool, climbing the stairs onto the stands to look for seats.

Suddenly, she heard her name being called, somehow, over the din of the crowd. She looked around, and spotted the orange haired girl who was always with You, Chika. She recalled You’s request for her to keep an eye on her and the other girl with her - Riko, if memory served. Sakurauchi Riko.

Chika was wearing the school’s colors, a big #1 foam finger, and had a hat that said YOU. Riko was more sensibly dressed, in a simple but pretty sundress, though she also had a #1 foam finger that Yoshiko suspected Chika had given her, mostly because of the name Takami Chika scribbled on one of the fingers.

Yoshiko couldn’t help but be impressed at how supportive You’s friends were. She glanced at Hanamaru and Ruby, wondering if they would be willing to put on hats with her name on it and wave #1 foam fingers around. Perhaps Hanamaru, but definitely not Ruby.

“You mentioned you three’d be coming as well,” Chika said, once the three of them were seated. She glanced at Yoshiko in particular as she said, “She was pretty excited about that.”

“Chika,” Riko muttered, while Yoshiko tried to ignore the suggestive grin Chika was flashing her way.

Chika smirked at Riko, but dropped the silly grin. “We’ve met, but I don’t think we’ve had the chance to really talk. You can call me Chika. I’m a friend of You’s.”

She tried to name each of the girls as she offered her hand for a handshake. “You’re the younger Kurosawa. You’re… uh, Kunikida Hanamaru? You volunteer at the school library, right?”

Finally she came to Yoshiko. She had a sly grin on her face as she said, “And Tsushima Yoshiko. You’s been talking about you.”

Yoshiko’s face felt hot as she muttered, “Has she, now?”

“Mhmm,” Chika nodded, while looking Yoshiko over. “You know, I haven’t had the chance to really look at you up close. With how You’s been describing you, I thought you’d be prettier.”

Yoshiko’s stomach did a flip and she tried not to choke. Meanwhile, Riko nudged Chika, giving her a stern glare. Chika pouted. “You’re no fun.”

“We’re here to support You. Not to meddle,” Riko said.

“Speaking of, when does You show up, zura?” Hanamaru asked, looking around. “She’s gonna be in one of the races, right?”

“Actually, You dives,” Chika started, before she was cut off by Yoshiko.

“So she’ll come out in the end, after all the swimming events.” 

Chika stared at Yoshiko. “Huh. I didn’t peg you as a fan of competitive swimming.”

“Or— maybe just a competitive _swimmer_?” 

She gave Yoshiko a wide, playful grin, the meaning of which was not lost on Yoshiko.

Her face went bright red while Riko elbowed Chika in the ribs, causing her to double over in pain. “Riko—! why’d you do that?”

“You brought that on yourself,” Riko said, smiling apologetically at Yoshiko. “Sorry. Chika’s like this sometimes.”

“You love me for it~” Chika said in a sing-song voice, her pain forgotten suddenly.

“No, I don’t,” Riko said, though her cheeks turned a little pink.

“ _Thank you everyone for coming to the first meet of the season…_ ”

The speakers around the stands suddenly crackled to life, and the group turned their attention to the pool as the swim meet officially began. The swim races were interesting, but Yoshiko wasn’t too invested in them, only really paying attention because she had to explain what was going on to Ruby and Hanamaru, who had practically no idea what was going on other than the fact that people were swimming.

Eventually the pair of them got into the swing of things, even cheering with the crowd when Ura girls was in the lead, or groaning and pursing their lips nervously when the going was bad. Yoshiko watched them, and the events, impassively. Chika was very loud, waving her foam finger around, Riko following her lead (albeit with much more embarrassment.)

The scores were tallied up at the end of the swim section. Ura Girls and one of the schools from Numazu were tied for first, which made Hanamaru and Ruby nervous. Even Yoshiko was a little concerned, swept up in the excitement of the crowd. But she spent more time watching Chika and Riko, remembering her promise to You.

They seemed like normal friends, albeit quite flirty ones, though from the few times she had seen Chika in school, she generally seemed like an outgoing kind of girl, so maybe that was normal.

Maybe You had a shot… Yoshiko shook her head. She felt short of breath for some reason. She decided to focus back onto the events. The dive section had started, and the divers were lining up. There were eight in total, two for each school. You was the last to jump. Yoshiko thought maybe they put the best last for dramatic effect, if it was intentional.

When You stepped out onto the pool deck, the crowd cheered loudly, applause ringing like firecrackers. That much was within Yoshiko’s expectations - You was popular, after all. She was the Ace.

In fact, the announcer called her that during the announcement of the divers, and even from a distance Yoshiko could see You’s face turn red. Riko looked taken aback by You’s popularity, but Chika assured her it was normal.

“You should see the chocolate she gets on valentines day,” Chika said jokingly. “It could feed the whole of Japan for a year.”

Yoshiko felt her heart beat a little faster as the divers went, one by one. Watching livestreams really was different to watching in person. It didn’t quite capture the atmosphere of it. There were a few flops. A girl hit the water like a brick and had to be pulled out by lifeguards. Another mistimed her spin and made a huge splash. But there were good ones, too. One scored all 8s from the four judges, and another even got a 10.

“You’s up next,” Chika reminded the group, and sure enough, You had climbed up the ladder onto the diving platform. Yoshiko breathed in. You was wearing a swimsuit - of course she was - that hugged her figure, leaving barely anything for imagination. She was muscular, but not bulky, just lean and solidly built, which worked towards a figure that was surprisingly feminine and alluring. Yoshiko felt faint, but she was sure You had nothing to do with it. Nothing at all.

You stepped up to the board, pausing just before to turn to the Ura Girls section of the crowd. There was a close-up shot of her on the big screen. She was grinning, but Yoshiko could see the faintest signs of her swallowing, her throat bobbing up and down. So she was nervous. Yoshiko didn’t think someone as good as her would be, but she supposed it was possible.

There was no sound, but Yoshiko knew exactly what she was saying as she pointed at the crowd. “Full speed ahead…” 

**“YOSORO!”**

The crowd finished her catchphrase, and You gave them a smart salute in response, before starting the walk towards the end of the board. She bounced once— twice— and then she was off, spinning through the air as gravity took its hold on her. 

She spiraled twice in the air before she let her body straighten out, barely a millisecond before hitting the water, turning what was practically a clumsy cannon ball into a graceful dive. She slipped into the water with barely a splash at all, seemingly melting into the pool like a water droplet hitting a puddle, momentarily disappearing from sight. Yoshiko had stood up during the dive without realizing, letting out a shout before catching herself and sitting down. Chika grinned knowingly at her again, which Yoshiko pointedly ignored.

Another second, and You bobbed up to the surface, giving the audience a wave. Yoshiko felt herself relax, instinctively tensed muscles losing their tension. What had she been worried about? You might as well be a professional, there was nothing for her to be nervous about.

“They’re judging now,” Chika whispered to Riko, bouncing excitedly in her seat. “You’s form was totally perfect. She’s gotta get a good score.”

“Shh…” Riko nudged Chika. The stands were quiet save the occasional cough and excited murmur here and there. Chika blushed and stopped talking, as the judges started to reveal their scores.

Ten. Ten, Ten… 

Ten.

The crowd went _crazy_ , exploding into cacophonous applause. There was cheering and whistling and swooning, even from the supporters of the opposing schools. Ruby was screaming. Hanamaru was screaming. The two strangers beside them were screaming and hugging. Chika and Riko were waving their #1 foam fingers around like madwomen, cheering breathlessly. Yoshiko was cheering too, screaming her voice hoarse, waving her arms like an excited child.

You, still dripping wet from the dive but now with a towel draped around her, looked up at the stands. There was a moment of recognition as she and Yoshiko locked eyes. You beamed at her, waving happily, and in a daze, Yoshiko waved back. She didn’t care much for her image at that point in time, she was just happy for You.

Thankfully, that mindset didn’t linger for long, and by the time everyone else calmed down, Yoshiko was already back to sitting calmly on the stands, sitting at the bottle of water she brought along to sooth her parched throat. 

“You is so cool…!” Ruby had stars in her eyes as she held Hanamaru’s hand. “Did you see that? She was like, twirling in mid-air, then she was in the water and she got all tens and… and…”

“Yes, Ruby, I was there,” Hanamaru said wryly, but she squeezed Ruby’s hand nonetheless, smiling happily. It was a very impressive showing, after all.

Naturally, Ura Girls won with that - the other diver had averaged an 8.5 too, which was on the higher end of the range of scores that all the divers got. That plus You’s 10 had bumped Ura Girls solidly into first place.

When the whole thing was done and the crowds either started dispersing or taking pictures, You came up to the stands to greet them, now changed into fresh clothes, though her hair was still wet and stringy. She was sidetracked a few times by fans who asked for a picture, but eventually she made it to where Yoshiko and the others were sitting.

“Hey, guys!” She said, grinning at Chika and Riko, then Ruby and Hanamaru, and finally, and maybe a little shyly, at Yoshiko. “Thanks for coming.”

“You know I got your back, girl!” Chika ran up and gave You a hug, which made her go a little pink. Riko hesitated a moment before giving You a hug as well. Yoshiko wondered if it would be appropriate for her to go for a hug. 

No, of course not. That was stupid.

“Well done,” She said, nodding shortly at You. You smiled, and everything was sunshine and rainbows and warm fuzzy feelings. Yoshiko shook her head, appalled at how she felt. She was supposed to be in control of her emotions. She glanced away for a second, and waited until You started chatting up Chika and Riko before allowing her gaze to drift back over to the girl.

She looked good. Her silver-grey hair looked more salt-and-pepper when wet, sticking to her cheeks and the back of her neck. She was wearing a simple white t-shirt that showed a bit of belly and cropped shorts, and it showed enough of her figure that Yoshiko was reminded of her wearing a swimsuit and her cheeks were suddenly burning again.

“You’re red, zura.” 

Yoshiko jumped at Hanamaru’s voice right by her ear, and she whirled around, glaring at Hanamaru. “I… I have no idea what you’re talking about!” Her voice was an octave higher than usual. She cringed inwardly, cursing her inability to control herself.

Hanamaru followed Yoshiko’s gaze, looking at You for a moment before turning to Yoshiko again, with a knowing smile. But also a gentle one, not just teasing like Chika’s. Chika wasn’t being malicious, per se, but Hanamaru was just more… considerate. Considerate and kind. It was just enough for Yoshiko to trust Hanamaru.

“She cares a lot for you, too, zura,” she said quietly. “You should remember that.”

“But not in that way,” Yoshiko said, glancing at Chika. You was laughing at something she said, and Chika was nudging You in the side while Riko sighed incredulously. “Not the way I…” She stopped, catching herself.

Hanamaru smiled softly, and gave Yoshiko a soft pat on the back. “You never know until you ask, zura. I know I didn’t.”

Yoshiko looked at Hanamaru, then at Ruby, who had started talking to You, apparently gushing over her diving. They seemed so compatible, so close to each other, it was hard to imagine them misunderstanding each other. “You don’t look like it.”

“We’ve had time to figure things out, zura,” Hanamaru said. “But in the beginning, it was a lot of guessing. And a lot of hurt from wrong guesses.”

“Hmm.” When had Hanamaru become so wise? Yoshiko still remembered when she was that clueless, shy girl in kindergarten. And here she was, dispensing romantic advice like the best of them. “Can I have a moment?”

Hanamaru sighed, but nodded, and stood up to go to Ruby’s side, leaving Yoshiko alone to think.

But she wasn’t left alone for long. You came over, coming to a stop in front of her. Yoshiko winced. Her face was still red. She probably looked ridiculous.

“We’re, uh, we’re gonna go to a cafe to celebrate. Get something to eat. And stuff,” You ran a hand through her hair nervously. “I know you said no talking in school, but we’re out of school so I thought maybe… uh…”

Yoshiko tried to calm her pounding heart and muster up a sensible response. “…We’re not in school.”

“Eh? Oh!” You blinked, then broke into a radiant smile that made Yoshiko want to die a little. She missed her laptop already. “You’ll come with us then? Great! I just gotta grab my stuff from the changing room, tell the others to meet me by the entrance, okay?”

Yoshiko nodded mutely, and after shooting her a last happy grin, You dashed off towards the stairwell, leaving Yoshiko feeling like her heart was going to explode and her cheeks were going to set themselves on fire. 

Coming to the swim meet was a terrible, terrible idea. Yoshiko cursed her weak spot for attractive, athletic Watanabe You’s. This entire ordeal was the worst idea she’s had in a while. She thought maybe bringing Hanamaru and Ruby along would distract her, but no, it was just as bad as she thought it would be. Yoshiko couldn’t get her mind off of You, her dumb smile, her dumb baby blue eyes, her dumb optimism and her crush on Takami Chika.

If only she’d stayed well away when they first met, she wouldn’t be feeling like this. Watanabe You couldn’t stay away from a maiden in distress, like she supposed she herself was. Even after all the trouble Yoshiko had gone through to avoid You for both You’s and her own sakes, knowing that she couldn’t resist if You got any closer, You had to go and poke her nose into Yoshiko’s life anyway.

Tsushima Yoshiko’s life was a delicate balancing act. Unfortunately, Watanabe You refused to play by the rules, and now Yoshiko felt her life crashing down around her. Unfortunately. Once again, it seemed like misfortune of the highest degree was the only constant in her life.

“Where did You go?” Chika looked up, finally realizing that You was gone.

 _How did you forget the existence of the star of the day?_ Yoshiko thought incredulously. But of course, as always, she said something else, something that wasn’t brewing, toxic, in her mind. “She went to pick up her things. She wants us to meet by the entrance.”

“Oh! Okay,” Chika said, picking up her bag. “I take it that means you’re coming with us, then? Welcome aboard!” She saluted.

There was a lengthy pause as Chika held her salute. “…Because You’s dream is to be a sailor… never mind.”

Riko sighed and grabbed Chika by the arm, dragging her towards the stairs. “Come on. We don’t want to keep You waiting.”

Hanamaru and Ruby giggled at the sight and followed suit.

Yoshiko sighed. She should have known that social interaction was a terrible idea. All it had given her was more and more heartache - just like last time.

But hey, at least the cafe food was good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow Yoshiko is really gay huh.  
> I mean we knew that already but still.  
> We're in the home stretch guys, maybe three or four chapters to go until the main plot is wrapped up - I hope. Then maybe I'll do fluff until I get the itch to move on.


	10. Like a Date but Not Really

“So…” Chika grinned at You, waggling her eyebrows. “Tsushima came to the swim meet, huh?”

You blushed, reaching over and hitting her on the head lightly with a pillow. “It’s not like that. We’re just friends.”

It was a few days after the swim meet, and Chika and You - and Riko - were over at the Tochiman inn. The plan was initially for You and Riko to coach Chika on school work, but when they found that You wasn’t all that better it turned into an impromptu catch-up lesson for the two idiots led by Riko. Riko had stepped out to get some refreshments, and naturally Chika and You took the chance to slack off and chat.

Chika, being Chika, immediately started on the topic of Tsushima Yoshiko, shooting You a suggestive smirk.

“She’s pretty cute, huh?” Chika draped an arm over You’s shoulders, pulling her closer and whispering conspiratorially, unaware of the effect it had on You. “I wouldn’t have guessed the brooding, glacial type to be your type.”

“She’s not my type!” You protested, blushing brightly from both the statement and the proximity to Chika. “Besides, Yoshiko isn’t the brooding, glacial type at all.”

She paused. “Okay, brooding maybe, but she’s hardly glacial once you get to know her.”

“Oh, and you’ve gotten to _know_ her, have you?” Chika’s eyebrows waggled ever more aggressively, prompting You to growl at her, giving her a light shove. 

“Cut it out, Chika!”

Chika laughed, sticking her tongue out at You.

“I’ll cut it out when you spill the beans!” Her expression grew more serious as she leaned forward, though her eyes retained that playful gleam. “You like someone, right? Like, _like_ like. Don’t you think I haven’t noticed.”

You swallowed as her blue eyes met Chika’s red ones. So Chika _had_ noticed. Just not _who_ , specifically.

“W-What makes you think that?”

“You’ve been acting weird lately. Running off to god knows where, spacing out, random blushing,” Chika gestured at You’s face. She quickly touched a hand to her cheeks, and indeed, they were burning hot. “I’ve seen enough movies to know what this is. So ‘fess up, who is it? Maybe it’s not Tsushima, fine, but it’s gotta be _someone_. Riko? _Kanan?_ ”

“What? No, I don’t like Kanan. We’ve known her for _years_ ,” You said, before realizing that she knew Chika for years and still had a crush on her. That argument didn’t mean much. But still. “And Riko, well, she’s great and all, but not really my type either.”

“So it _is_ Tsushima after all?” Chika leaned in, grinning suggestively. “Look, if it is, I’m not gonna judge. She’s pretty cute. And pretty fun. And pretty pretty. And trust me, you two? You two have _chemistry_ , if you catch my drift.”

You shook her head vigorously. “I told you, it’s not like that. We’re not…”

“Watanabe You, look at me.”

Chika’s voice was suddenly so firm and authoritative that You couldn’t help but turn towards her. It was one of those rare moments when Chika took charge - and anyone who knew Chika would know that she wasn’t the kind of passionate person who would take charge often.

“Look at me. Look into my eyes and tell me that there’s honestly, truthfully, nothing between you two. Even a little. Tell me you haven’t even considered the idea of it/”

“Again, I’m telling you, it’s not…” You faltered. Staring into Chika’s ruby red eyes, she found herself at a loss for words, and for once it wasn’t because she was lost in Chika’s eyes. Meeting Chika’s fierce gaze, she found that she couldn’t honestly, truthfully, say that there was absolutely nothing between herself and Yoshiko.

After all, she had already admitted that she found Yoshiko physically attractive. And she had to admit that personality-wise, You and Yoshiko were a good mix as well. Despite appearing to be complete opposites - You was outgoing and optimistic, while Yoshiko was cynical and reclusive - You found that she had come to appreciate Yoshiko’s wry sense of humor, and her quick wit, and even her quirkiness with regards to Yohane.

So maybe, just _maybe…_ No. You shook her head. She respected Yoshiko, and she did appreciate Yoshiko, but only in so far as a friendship was concerned. 

After all, she already had Chika to contend with. She didn’t need another stubborn girl in her life.

Chika sighed. “Have you at least given it a try? I know you, You. Whenever you’re unsure of something, you just keep it tucked deep in your heart, waiting and waiting until it solves itself. Sometimes it works out, but it probably won’t with Tsushima, because from what I can tell, she’s like you in that way. Keeps quiet about her feelings.”

“Okay, fine. Say I do have _hidden feelings,_ ” You did air quotes for the last two words. “What do you propose I do then, Love Guru Takami? Since apparently you’re so good at this romance thing.”

“Well,” Chika hummed, tapping her chin for a moment before her eyes lit up with an idea. “What about you take her on a date?”

If You was drinking something that moment, she would have spat it out in surprise. “What?!” You sounded like she was being strangled. “I’m not just gonna randomly ask Yoshiko out on a date! It’s weird!”

“Is it?” Chika’s eye twinkled knowingly, and You suddenly realized that she had vastly underestimated her friend. Maybe You should have read more novels about romance herself, so she could be better prepared for this. “It’s not uncommon to go on a first date just to confirm your feelings, you know. It doesn’t have to be super romantic. Just go and have a chat, in the right kind of setting.”

“But I…”

“Look, You, I just want to make sure you’re not making a mistake, okay? Hell, you can just pretend that Tsushima is me, and you’re on a dinner date with your dear old friend.”

Well, that’s not going to help _at all_. But Chika doesn’t have to know that.

You sighed, shifting slightly so she wasn’t staring directly at Chika. “You’re really dead set on this, huh?”

Chika nodded. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while now. I’ve never seen you seriously talk about this sort of thing before - romantic stuff, I mean. I’m just worried you might be, I dunno, sexually frustrated or something.”

“Chika!” You blushed bright red, and hurled a pillow at Chika’s face.

It was at that moment that Riko came back with a platter of snacks and juice boxes, witnessing the sight of You beaning Chika in the face with a pillow.

“Uh… Am I interrupting something?” Riko looked between You and the fallen Chika. “I can come back later if you need to settle your differences…?”

“No! Riko, you came just in time!” 

Chika reached out and grabbed Riko’s ankle. “Convince You to go on a date with Tsushima! She’s being all tsundere about it!”

“What happened to it not necessarily being romantic?!”

Riko hummed thoughtfully while You reached for another pillow. “Well, I’m sure Tsushima would appreciate the gesture, at least. Romantic implications aside, she does seem to enjoy your company.”

“She does?” 

You stopped, turning to look at Riko. Chika took the chance to slip behind Riko, safe from You’s pillows, saying, “Yeah, she does. She wants the Yosoro, girl! She wants to go full speed ahead with you!”

“Chika, I’m going to stop letting you copy my work.”

“I’m sorry I’ll stop.”

Riko _hmph_ ed while Chika grinned sheepishly at both her and You. “Sorry, You. But— look, bottomline is, you get to spend a day with Tsushima, hang out, whatever. Even if it turns out my expert opinion was misguided, and Tsushima _doesn’t_ like you like that - which I doubt - you can make fun of me behind my back with Tsushima.”

You sighed. “I guess… there’s no harm.”

It was true that You didn’t really have much face-to-face contact with Yoshiko. She respected their agreement to stay away from each other at school, and on Immortal Legends they only really talked about the game itself and not much outside of it. Despite having a solid method of communication, and something resembling a friendship between them, You still barely knew anything about Yoshiko.

Pulling out her phone, she scrolled down to Yoshiko’s contact and called her number. They didn’t really talk on the phone, but she got her number during the swim meet hangout, so might as well use it. 

After the ringer went off for a few seconds, the call was picked up and You heard a tired voice speak up on the other end.

_“Hello?”_

“Uh, hey, Yoshiko.” Damn it, why was she feeling nervous? It was just a friendly hangout, nothing more. You shook her head, and regained her composure.

 _“Oh. Um. Hi, You.”_ A pause. _“What’s up?”_

“I was, um, I was wondering if you had time this Saturday?”

 _“I do… why?”_ Yoshiko sounded hesitant, like she was cautious.

“Well, I was thinking that we could hang out.”

Chika frowned, and angrily mimed a series of exaggerated gestures at You, who sighed in exasperation. “Like, go on a date.”

 _“A date?!”_ Yoshiko squeaked, her voice suddenly an octave higher. 

“It’s… it’s Chika’s dumb idea. She thought maybe there was chemistry between us and if she threw us in a romantic environment something might… it’s dumb, I know, but…”

 _“WELL! Um! I mean, well, she’s not exactly wrong? That can happen, sometimes.”_ A long pause. _“But! Um, yes, no, not between us. Not in our case. No. Definitely not. Unfortunately.”_

You raised an eyebrow. “Are you okay, Yoshiko? You’re sounding a little… stressed.”

_“Um! Just, uh, you know. Immortal Legends. Doing a high level raid. Hard to concentrate.”_

“Oh. That makes sense, I guess?” You said, licking her lips slightly to wet them. They still felt bone dry afterwards, but it helped calm her nerves. “So, uh, do you have time? It doesn’t have to be romantic, just… maybe we could hang out. Go shopping in Numazu or something. Just so Chika’s satisfied.”

_“Well, I’d hate to disappoint Chika. This Saturday, right? I have time, yeah.”_

You nodded. “Good, good. I thought, uh, maybe you could show me around Numazu? If you don’t mind? I’m not incredibly familiar with what’s hot over there, so…”

_“That’s fine! That’s fine. I’ll just take you to some of the more scenic spots, yeah? Um… how does 10 AM at the bus terminus sound? That gives us plenty of time, and you won’t have to rush for the bus home afterwards.”_

“That sounds perfect. So, uh. I’ll see you then?”

_“See you then.”_

She waited a bit, nodding her head awkwardly. 

“I’ll, um, I’ll hang up then.”

_“Right, right. Yeah. See you, You.”_

“See you, Yoshiko.”

She hung up, and turned to glare at Chika who was on the verge of tears from holding back laughter.

“See? It wasn’t that hard, now was it?” Chika gave You a sly grin. “That was, uh, smooth. Real smooth, casanova.”

“Shut up,” You growled, aiming high and throwing another pillow. It arced safely over Riko’s shoulder and hit Chika square in the face. With a lower voice she muttered, “If I didn’t like you, I’d hate you. You jerk.”

“Alright you two, settle down.” Riko clapped her hands together before further violence could escalate. “If I recall, you two still haven’t finished the unit revision worksheet. I’m not gonna help you finish anything, so you’d better get a move on.”

Chika’s face fell, and she crawled reluctantly back to the table. “Yes, _mom_.”

You sighed, and returned her attention to her work as well, though she found it hard to concentrate on the words on the page - she was far more preoccupied with the realization that _she was going on a date with Yoshiko on Saturday._

Even though she was in love with Chika, even though she was certain that Chika was the one she wanted to be with…

You had to admit that the idea of going on a date with Yoshiko made her heart beat just a little bit quicker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry the chapter's a little short, but I wanted to get it out no matter what.
> 
> Look forward to some YouHane next time, and maybe some other stuff too.
> 
> You won't admit it but she's really gay for Yoshiko too.


	11. Sakkaku Crossroads

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think it's obvious now that if I'm inspired by a song, I put it in the title...

You glanced down at her phone. She was on the bus to Numazu, _late_ , for the date that _she_ suggested. She tapped the screen urgently, as if that might somehow miraculously make the bus go faster.

Biting her lips, she sent another message to Yoshiko: _im so sorry, the bus should be arriving in a couple of minutes!! sorry!!!_

As the bus pulled into Numazu proper, Yoshiko replied, _it’s okay, no hurry._

 _Still feel bad, tho._ You typed quickly. _are you there already?_

A few seconds later. _I’m there._

You groaned. She had hoped she had the leeway of Yoshiko not being there yet, but it seemed luck was not on her side. She sighed, and put her phone down. She supposed stressing about being late wouldn’t help the bus go any faster. Instead, she focused on what she had control over - her outfit.

She had decided to wear a light blue striped top and jean shorts, one of her favorite outfits that managed to look nice without being too elaborate. She didn’t want to come off as trying too hard, but at the same time she didn’t want to seem too casual about it too, especially because she initiated the date, even if she was pushed into it by Chika. Did it show too much skin? You glanced down at her mostly bare thighs, and self-consciously touched her shoulders. Chika and Riko told her she looked fine when she checked in with them just now, but…

“You look good, dear.” 

You jumped when the woman beside her spoke up suddenly, and she turned to see the woman smiling reassuringly at her.

“Was I disturbing you?” You asked, apologetically. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh, no, dear. I just couldn’t help but notice you fidgeting a lot,” the lady said, gesturing at You. “You’re going on a date, aren’t you?”

“Yeah…” You smiled nervously, glancing out the window. There was still a little bit until the bus made it to the terminal. She looked back down at her hands, tapping them aimlessly against her thighs. “How did you know?”

“It’s the only reason why a girl from Uchiura would dress up this much. I know from experience.” The lady laughed, and gave You a comforting pat on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, dear. You look stunning. I’m sure whoever you’re going to see will be very happy.”

“Thanks,” You said shyly, playing with a lock of her hair. The lady gave her one last smile before getting up and getting off the bus, leaving You alone with her thoughts in the back row again.

Eventually the bus pulled up to the bus terminal, and despite her nerves You stood up and got off the bus, taking a moment to adjust to the bright sunlight and balmy air outside before looking around for Yoshiko. 

It wasn’t too hard to do that - You could immediately pick her out from the crowd. She was wearing a beige-brown button up top and a black pleated skirt, and grey thigh-high socks. _Thigh-high socks_. You breathed in slowly, to calm the beating of her gay heart. Yoshiko was a friend - she should be thinking about her like that.

Steeling her nerves, You put on the brightest smile she could manage and walked over to Yoshiko, giving her a little wave as she approached. “Morning, Yoshiko.”

The girl perked up when You called her name, and she turned around quickly, smiling back at you. “You!”

“You, um,” She looked You over, and her cheeks turned a faint pink. “You look great. I like the outfit.”

You blushed too, looking away slightly. “Oh. Thanks. You look good too. I like the hair.”

Yoshiko had her long hair done up into a ponytail, revealing her slender swanlike neck. You had always wondered how she would look with a ponytail herself, but her hair wasn’t long enough to really pull it off. Yoshiko, though, looked _great_ with a ponytail.

“Thanks,” Yoshiko said shyly, looking down at the ground.

For a moment, neither of them spoke, the dialog drifting off into awkward silence. The sun was hot overhead, and You shuffled awkwardly, trying to find something to talk about.

“So,” “So!”

You and Yoshiko started, together, and stopped again, watching to see if the other was going to speak up. You opened her mouth, but then Yoshiko opened her mouth, so You closed her mouth but then Yoshiko also shut her mouth, and it was _really_ awkward.

Finally, Yoshiko giggled - which You found _adorable_ \- and smiling wryly she said, “How about we walk and talk?”

“Sounds good,”You said, following after Yoshiko as she set off at a leisurely pace. Walking alongside her for a few moments, You looked around at Numazu’s streets. Despite living in the area, she spent most of her time in Uchiura with her friends, so she didn't really have a clear idea of where everything was. It was why she’d asked Yoshiko to take the lead and take her around. “So… Where are we going today?”

“Well, since it’s a little hot right now I thought we could go look at the undercover shopping street.” Yoshiko glanced up at You, who was a little taller than her. She’d never really noticed until they were really side by side. “Um, you don’t mind doing some window shopping, right?” 

“I don’t mind,” You said, smiling. “Getting out of the sun sounds like a good idea.”

Yoshiko blanked for a moment, distracted by You’s smile, before shaking herself awake and blushing a little. “Anyway, it’s this way, just down the street.”

The shopping street was one of the places You _was_ familiar with in Numazu. She’d been a few times, and she enjoyed just being around the lively, bustling atmosphere of shopping areas. It was essentially a big cross intersection, with all sorts of shops on every side of the two intersecting roads.

Business had already started to pick up in the late morning, with a few customers walking about and looking through the stores. It was a Saturday, and school was out, so there were more young people out and about than normal. Even if she identified more on the Uchiura side of things, You seemed to blend right in, walking alongside Yoshiko who felt quite at home.

You scanned through the first row of shops, and gestured at a clothing store. “Want to go look at some clothes? Might even find something that works for you.”

“I don’t really…” Yoshiko shuffled her feet, though she still trailed after You as she set off towards the shop. “…I don’t really do fashion.”

“Really?” You raised an eyebrow, looking over Yoshiko again. Her ensemble was simple, but it worked - You thought that Yoshiko was intentionally going for that look. “Seems to me like you’ve got a sense for it, though.”

Yoshiko eyed You doubtfully, while they entered the shop. It wasn’t anything too high-end, but there were a few cute outfits that You had her eye on - particularly, a sailor themed dress around the back. She kept her attention on Yoshiko, though, and decided to to a little test. “How about this - I point to something, and you tell me if it’ll look good on me.”

“Um… okay?” Yoshiko said, uncertainly.

You pointed towards a loose sky-blue t-shirt with a anchor logo on top, which she thought would be pretty nice on her. After examining it for a while, Yoshiko nodded slowly. 

She repeated the experiment again, this time pointing at a cardigan that clashed horribly with her hair. A few seconds later, Yoshiko frowned and shook her head.

Finally, You pointed at a light sundress that she didn’t think would work with her complexion. Yoshiko eyed up the dress, glanced back at You, then back at the dress. “…It’d work, I think.”

“Huh?” You blinked, glancing at the dress. She raised an eyebrow and looked back to Yoshiko. “Really?”

She nodded slowly, brows furrowed as though deep in contemplation. “Yeah… You’re slightly tanned from the swimming, and your hair is light, so the white dress would bring out the shade of your skin… maybe. Um, I don’t know.”

“Well,” You looked over the dress again. “I could always try it on.”

She picked the dress off the rack and went off to ask if there was a changing room, while Yoshiko waited awkwardly in the storefront. A few minutes later You stepped back into the main shop area, wearing the sundress. She glanced at a mirror, posing a little.

“What do you think, Yoshiko?” 

She turned around, to find Yoshiko blushing, completely red-faced. “Hmm? What’s wrong?” You tilted her head in confusion.

“Your, um… back…” Yoshiko muttered, turning away slightly.

You blinked. The sundress had a low-cut back, tied together with strings, and it revealed most of her upper and lower back. It was a pretty common style, all things considered, and looking at some of the other items of clothing in the shop, it wasn’t all _that_ risqué.

“What about it?” You asked.

“…Nothing…” Yoshiko coughed, shaking her head. “It, um, it looks good. Really good. Really, really… good.”

You found herself blushing mildly as well, and she nodded quickly. “That’s… good. Um, I’m gonna go change out of this, okay? We’ll… maybe we’ll come back and pick it up later.”

“Yup,” Yoshiko sounded a little strangled. “Sounds good.”

While You busied herself with that, Yoshiko sighed and continued to look around the store, trying to calm down. _Stop being weird_ , she scolded herself, biting her lips. You was on a date with her because Chika pushed her into it. Yoshiko shouldn’t be making a big deal out of it. Stopping in front of a cute one-piece, she stared at it for a while considering how well You would look in it.

 _Crap._ _I can’t stop thinking about her._

Yoshiko sighed again and shook her head, trying to clear her mind. 

“Are you trying to get something for your girlfriend?” The shopkeeper, a young-ish woman - probably in her twenties - leaned forward and asked suddenly. 

“Huh?! Um! No, uh, she’s not my…” Yoshiko stammered, backing away a little. “Someone like me isn’t… um… with her…”

The shopkeeper laughed, leaning back and reaching for something behind the counter. “You sound nervous. What, could it be that this is just a _friendly_ date?” She smiled knowingly at Yoshiko.

“Well, um, uh…” Yoshiko took a deep breath. What happened to her composure? Her poise? She used to be so calm and unmoving - now she was so easily tripped up! She shook her head and said, “Yes, um, this is just a friendly date, nothing more.”

“But you like her, right?” The shopkeeper grinned, and pulled out a pendant - a necklace with a blue, crystal anchor as the charm. “I’ve seen enough girls in love in my time to tell.”

Yoshiko blushed bright red, covering her face quickly with a hand. With her other, she gingerly took the pendant. “Um… What’s this, miss?”

“Let’s call it a good luck charm,” The shopkeeper said. “Maybe it’ll help you on your journey. I’ll discount it for you. Personal favor.”

Yoshiko took a closer look at the pendant - it was very pretty, even if it was relatively simple. It was made of a light blue gemstone, carved into the shape of an anchor, with a platinum silver chain attached. It looked like it would cost a fair bit but when the shopkeep showed her the price, Yoshiko was shocked at how cheap it was.

“Um! I’ll take up your offer, then…” Yoshiko swallowed, and fished some cash out of her wallet. “…Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” the shopkeeper flashed Yoshiko her set of pearly whites. “You’ve still got a ways to go, little lady.”

The changing room door unlocked, and the shopkeeper winked. “Go get her, tiger.”

Yoshiko blushed, and turned to face You as she came out from the changing room, pocketing the pendant quickly before she could spot it. You smiled at her, shouldering her bag, and turned to thank the shopkeeper. “Thanks for the help, miss.”

“You’re welcome. Do come back,” the shopkeeper smiled and waved them off as they left the store.

: : : : : : : : : :

After a bit more walking, they decided to sit down and get crepes. Yoshiko didn’t mind crepes, and You seemed to like them, so she didn’t have a problem with it.

(In fact after sharing bites out of the same crepe Yoshiko wanted to fall to her knees and thank the crepe for everything.)

As they polished off the last of their crepes, You glanced over in Yoshiko’s direction. 

“Ah, you have some cream on your face,” You said, reaching over and wiping off the bit of cream left on the corner of Yoshiko’s mouth… and then licking it off. Yoshiko’s face immediately went bright red at that, looking away from You to still her gay heart.

“Um!” Yoshiko squeaked, trying hard (and failing) to not sound flustered. “Thanks!”

“You like strawberry, huh?” You asked, licking her lips clean. “I’m more a mikan person myself.”

“Mikan?” Yoshiko made a face. “Really?”

“It’s one of Uchiura’s main exports. Uchiura represent, I guess,” You shrugged. “And, it reminds me of—”

She stopped suddenly, shaking her head.

Yoshiko could guess who she was reminded of. There was only one girl in school who had that sort of association.

“Anyway,” Yoshiko said quickly, changing the subject. “There’s a park with good scenery I want to show you…”

She didn’t want to think about that, though. So far, the day had been almost like a fairytale. She’d even dared to think that maybe her bad luck was turning at last. For once ignoring her doubts, she was determined to enjoy the time she had with You, while it lasted. Even if she knew, in her gut, that it wasn’t a real date… it felt real enough for her to pretend that it was.

Yoshiko had never felt so happy in her life, just spending time with You, walking through Numazu’s streets, talking about inane nothings, looking at the sights and sounds that Yoshiko had never paid attention to normally. When she was with You, everything seemed so much more interesting and vibrant and _alive_.

You seemed to love _everything_. Everything from the quiet parks to the bustling city centers, You just ate it right up, at times even dragging Yoshiko along, even though Yoshiko was supposed to be her guide, when You noticed something that caught her attention.

 _Dragging her along by her hand._ That was one of the things that had surprised her.

She had offered Yoshiko a hand, and she stared dumbly at it for a solid five seconds before realizing the implications of what the gesture meant. It had taken Yoshiko even longer to muster up the courage to hold it.

You’s hands were warm - very warm. Rough, too, calloused and solidly built, betraying the physical nature of her lifestyle. Yoshiko felt like she was going to explode. She’s always had cold hands, so You’s hand felt like the sun against her skin. She was so dazed that You could lead her around Numazu without any resistance. She felt like she was walking on clouds, her feet barely touching the ground at all. Surreal.

Her heart pounded in her chest. She felt like she couldn’t breathe, felt like she was in a dream. Maybe if she let go of You’s hand she would disappear into mist, never to be seen again. Walking past the shops, the colors blurred together because all Yoshiko could focus on was the fact that You was there, next to her, holding her hand. Maybe it was in a friendly way - You certainly didn’t make it a romantic ordeal - but for Yoshiko, it was enough. 

She’d imagined thought about something like this before, an idle daydream here and there that faded away as quickly as it came. But this, this wasn’t a daydream. You really was there, holding her hand, walking down the streets of Numazu with her, smiling at her introductions of shops and streets and sights, dragging Yoshiko around toward things she was curious about.

Eventually, finally, like all carnival rides, what goes up must come down, and as the sun began to set You and Yoshiko found themselves where they met up, by the bus terminal near Numazu station. 

“I had fun today,” You smiled, still holding onto Yoshiko’s hand. 

Yoshiko nodded weakly, suddenly incredibly conscious of how sweaty her hands may be. “I had fun too.”

“We should do this again sometime.”

You said it so casually that Yoshiko would have nodded again, except she realized what You had actually said and her cheeks - which had blushed so many times already - flared red again.

“L-Like, hang out?” Yoshiko stammered, before slightly gesturing at their linked hands. “O-or, uh, this?”

You’s cheeks reddened when she glanced down as well, but she didn’t let go of Yoshiko’s hand. Despite that, Yoshiko sensed that something was amiss. You had ever so slightly stepped away, as though she was trying to distance herself from Yoshiko.

“Well, I mean,” You looked away from Yoshiko, avoiding eye-contact. “This is a friendly date. Right?”

She glanced back at Yoshiko, an edge of desperation creeping into her voice. “…Right?”

“Because the one I like… is…” Her voice trailed off. “It’s…”

Yoshiko tried her best to swallow her disappointment. 

Of course, in the end, this was just a _friendly_ date. You was there because Chika told her to, it wasn’t like it was You’s own idea.

It wasn’t as though this was an unexpected outcome. After all, You was… You. Shining star of the school, always confident and bright and optimistic, talented, beautiful. Meanwhile, Yoshiko was practically the exact opposite of that. A cynical, pessimistic, sullen individual at the bottom of the school’s social ladder, who brought nothing but misfortune to anyone who interacted with her. Sure, You was fine so far, but Yoshiko knew it was coming. The misfortunate curse had no exceptions.

And Yoshiko had known for weeks now that You had an enduring crush on Chika. Compared to her childhood friend, Yoshiko was barely a blip in You’s life. 

“The one you like is Chika,” Yoshiko said, smiling crookedly. She squeezed You’s hand. “I know.”

Before You could say anything more, her phone suddenly started ringing, and she pulled it out, checking the caller ID. “Chika?” You frowned, glancing at Yoshiko for a moment before saying. “I, um, I gotta take this.”

Yoshiko watched as You walked off to a short distance away. 

“Chika?” You asked, tentatively. “What’s up?”

She paused, then nodded slightly. “Sure.”

Then her expression changed wildly within the span of a second, going from curiosity to surprise to disbelief to even anger and hate. Her grip on her phone tightened, and Yoshiko could see her knuckles whiten. 

Finally her face settled into a look of weary resignation, and she had a pained look on her face as she said, “Yeah I’m fine. Yeah, I’m okay. Hey, listen, I gotta go now, but… uh, see you later. I guess.”

She hesitated for one more moment. “Bye.”

She hung up, and let her hand go limp.

Yoshiko felt a pang in her heart just watching You be like that, her shoulders slumped tiredly, her face pale. She was afraid to ask, but still her concern for You pushed her to step closer. “…What was the call about?”

“Ah…” You laughed. Yoshiko shivered - it was such a hollow, lifeless sound that it physically hurt to hear it. “I mean, I saw it coming. It’s for the best, I suppose.”

“…You?”

You looked up at Yoshiko, who drew a sharp breath when she realized there was the glimmer of tears in You’s eyes.

“Riko… Riko confessed to Chika…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I need to defend You friendzoning Yoshiko for a moment, mostly because I realize I wrote it pretty badly but I don't really know how I can write it better. I already went over revising it a few times, but it's still really inelegant and I would like someone who understands how genuine relationships work to coach me on this +A+
> 
> Basically You is really insecure at this stage, due to the developing ChikaRiko, and after going on the 'date' with Yoshiko she's realized that she does, in fact, have feelings for Yoshiko. She takes that as meaning that her feelings for Chika aren't that strong after all, and if *her* feelings aren't strong enough, what does that say for how Chika feels towards her?
> 
> In essence, the date was genuinely fun for You, but at the same time it amplified the fear in her that Chika's feelings towards her are purely platonic.
> 
> Next chapter, epic showdowns and emotional rollercoasters!


	12. Kinmirai Happy End

There was a moment of silence as the sentence sank in. Yoshiko swallowed, trying to think of something, _anything_ , to say to You, but words just failed to come. Her mouth felt dry, and she licked her lips in an attempt to wet them. 

“What did you tell her?” Yoshiko finally asked, cautiously.

“What else could I say?” You was pacing. She probably just needed to be on the move, to keep her blood pumping. Yoshiko could respect that. “Riko’s my friend too. I told her I’m happy for them. Chika sounded like she wasn’t sure about it, and wanted advice. She asked if she should say yes.”

“Did you?” Yoshiko asked.

“I did,” You sighed, but the breath came out shakily. “Did you know that Riko plays the piano?”

Yoshiko shook her head. She didn’t know You’s friends well, after all. She’d only first spoken to Sakurauchi that morning, during the swim meet.

“Apparently, the whole reason she moved from Tokyo to Uchiura was that she had a musician’s block. She was some kind of prodigy too - I looked up her stuff, and it’s crazy. She hoped that a change of scenery would help her get over her block.” 

Yoshiko nodded. It wasn’t an uncommon story, an artist of some kind moving out to the country for inspiration. You paused for a moment, taking another shaky breath before continuing. 

“Chika was kind of… hazy with the details. But… apparently Riko told her to look out the window… they live next to each other, see - and she played a song, that she wrote herself, and then confessed to Chika by telling her that it was meeting Chika that helped her get over her block. She called Chika her muse, her inspiration.”

“Wow,” Yoshiko couldn’t help but breathe, and You turned around to glance at her with a sad smile.

“I know, right? It’s like a story straight out of the movies,” You said, sadly. “She practically had the perfect confession. Chika’s a romantic, I know she loves something like that.”

“But,” Yoshiko frowned, going up to You and holding onto her hand. You’s hand was clammy, and shaking slightly. “What about you? Weren’t you going to confess to Chika?”

You’s posture stiffened up, and she took a rattling breath to try and steady herself. She tried to pull away from Yoshiko but she held on tight to her hand, because Yoshiko had the strangest feeling that if she let You go now, she was going to drown. Figuratively speaking.

“That’s not really important now,” You said. Her tone was light, but Yoshiko could tell she was putting up a front. “I’m happy for Riko. And Chika. They’ll be happy, that’s what matters.”

Yoshiko glanced at You. She was still shaking. In fact, her shivering was getting worse, like something was bubbling up inside her body and she was desperately trying to contain it. And all Yoshiko could do was hold her hand and try and be a supportive friend.

“Are you okay with that?” Yoshiko asked, softly. You glanced at her, a confused expression on her face. “Whether or not your feelings matter aside, are you okay with Chika and Riko dating?”

“As I’ve said, if it’s what Chika wants…”

“That’s not what I’m asking,” Yoshiko said firmly. “I’m asking if that’s what _you_ want.”

You shivered, breathing deeply for a moment before she stopped, and turned around to face Yoshiko.

Yoshiko’s breathing caught. You’s eyes were red and puffy, barely on the edge of tears. In fact she could see little shining beads rolling down her cheeks, not quite rivulets but just drops of tears.

“No, it’s not.”

Her voice was thick, and Yoshiko knew she was just barely holding back a flood of tears. She had to fight the urge to hug her. She had the feeling that You needed a hug. But at the same time, she knew You didn’t need a hug from _her_. The girl she needed a hug from was far away from where.

“But… Riko makes Chika happy. An idiot could see that,” You gave Yoshiko a sad smile. “And I know Chika. I know she likes Riko in a different way to how she sees me. Of course she does, Riko is _Riko_. She’s pretty, and talented, and stylish and from _Tokyo._ She’s downright angelic. I’m just… You, from Uchiura.”

“You know, I’m getting the strangest sense of deja vu from this.”

“Huh?”

You stared at Yoshiko, confused.

“Last Monday on the rooftop. I was… putting myself down, thinking it would be for the better,” Yoshiko said, gripping You’s hand. “You helped me understand that I was wrong.”

You looked at her, uncomprehendingly. She didn’t understand what Yoshiko was trying to say. Yoshiko bit her lip and continued, “You like Chika, right?”

You nodded.

“You’ll be miserable if Chika and Riko get together,” Yoshiko said, putting a hand up to silence You when she looked like she was going to argue. “No, I know how feelings work, You. You’re gonna feel terrible watching them together.”

She resisted saying _I should know_ \- this wasn’t the time for her to be bitter. “In that case, what you’re doing now is just like what I did.”

“What do you mean?”

Yoshiko sighed. “Do you think Chika will be happy to see you suffer? Even if she doesn’t like you that way, she’s still your friend. If you’re miserable, she’ll be miserable too.”

Yoshiko paused, the next words physically hurting her to speak. But if it was for You, so You could be happy…

“Anyway, I don’t see any reason why Takami wouldn’t like you,” Yoshiko said, quietly.

“Huh?” You looked at Yoshiko. 

“I’ve said it on Immortal Legends already, haven’t I?” Yoshiko smiled sadly. “You’re a good person. You’re nice, funny. Pretty. Worthy of an angel’s affection. Takami would have to be an idiot not to see that.”

“Yoshiko…” You sighed, smiling weakly. “I appreciate you trying to cheer me up, but it’s okay. It’s… just how things are sometimes.”

She jumped when she felt Yoshiko grab her. Yoshiko’s eyes were fierce suddenly, fiery and angry as she stared at You.

“Are you giving up?”

“W-Well,” You wanted to shrink back, but Yoshiko’s grip on her was surprisingly tight, and You didn’t want to hurt Yoshiko. “That’s not what I meant…”

“Are you, the girl who told me to not give up, giving up?” Yoshiko said sternly. “Because if you say yes, I’m going to get mad.”

“Well… uh…” You swallowed, staring back at Yoshiko. There was an undercurrent of intensity in Yoshiko’s voice that compelled You to listen to her, and she found herself at a loss for words as Yoshiko glared at her, those rosy eyes piercing straight through her. “It’s just… sure. I’m popular with girls. I know that. But…”

She turned away from Yoshiko’s piercing gaze, eyes downcast. “I’m pretty much the opposite of Riko. I’m not quiet, I don’t play the piano, I’m not smart and good at studying like she is… it just feels like… well, I just feel like I’m the opposite of what Chika wants, you know?”

Yoshiko bit her lip. She felt her hand shaking a little - or maybe it was just because she was holding You’s hand, and You was shaking. Was this how frustrated You felt when she was talking to her?

“That’s stupid,” Yoshiko muttered, unable to contain herself.

You froze, staring at her, confusion clear in her expression.

“That’s stupid,” Yoshiko said again, this time clearer. She wasn’t going to stay quiet. 

Not this time. Not when You needed her help, for once.

“Yoshiko…?” 

Yoshiko held up a hand. “No. That’s stupid, you’re stupid, you must be insane if you think Takami _wouldn’t_ like you.”

“I said already…” You protested weakly. “Chika doesn’t…”

Yoshiko shook her head. “No, no. Chika _will_ like you. Because you got me to like you, and if you can get someone shitty like me to fall in love with you, you can get someone who’s known you and cared for you for years longer than I have to fall in love with you.”

There was a long, long pause as Yoshiko stopped to take a breath. She was suddenly intimately aware of how close she and You was, and how hot her cheeks felt, and how You was shaking slightly. They might’ve been causing a scene. Her blue eyes were rippling with emotion, and Yoshiko found herself once again magnetically drawn to them. Was she getting closer? She could feel You’s breath on her now, warm and labored, and she had no doubt that You could feel her ragged breaths as well. They were definitely getting closer, and You had closed her eyes, leaning closer and closer. Yoshiko felt faint.

Their lips touched, and Yoshiko’s world exploded into a million sensations. It wasn’t a deep kiss - barely a chaste peck - but Yoshiko had never felt _more_ in her life. She was hyper aware of everything about it - how You’s lips were dry from the long day but still soft, how their breaths mingled, how You tasted a little bit like mikan and it was the only time when Yoshiko felt like she would be okay with mikan. It was the longest - and shortest - five seconds in Yoshiko’s life.

But then Yoshiko pulled back, and she blushed when she noticed how wide You’s eyes were, how flushed her cheeks looked. “You… like me?” You asked, breathlessly.

“Yeah,” Yoshiko admitted. It was almost exactly like what Yoshiko dreamt of as a child - confessing to the girl of her dreams after a romantic date. “I do.”

Except now she had to bring it all crashing down. For You.

“For how long?” You gripped Yoshiko’s hand when she tried to pull away.

Yoshiko shook slightly at the touch. “I’ve had… let’s say a silly crush for some time now. I’m a fan, if you’d believe it. But… since you stepped in between me and Aoki, probably.”

You sucked in a breath and held it. That was before she spilled out her feelings about Chika to her, a couple of weeks ago. While You was dealing with her feelings, it seemed as though Yoshiko was dealing with her own complications. There were so many things You could ask Yoshiko, but she could only ask one thing. 

“Why now?” She asked, hoarsely.

Yoshiko smiled sadly, and let go of You’s hands, taking a step back. “To prove that I know better than anyone else how you can make any girl fall head over heels in love. Even Chika. _Especially_ Chika.”

You was staring dumbly at her, and Yoshiko sighed, her eyes downcast. She scuffed the floor with her shoes for a moment before speaking. 

“Go to Chika. Tell her how you feel. You still have time,” Yoshiko said, gesturing at the bus terminal. “Don’t make me regret doing this.”

You stared at the station for a moment, then at Yoshiko. “But… what about you?”

“I’m going to be fine,” Yoshiko took a shuddering breath. It was obvious that she _wasn’t_ going to be fine, but she ignored that. Giving You a small smile, she said, “Fallen angels are tougher than you think.”

She took another few steps back. You moved to stop her, but before she could say anything, Yoshiko had already taken off running. Yoshiko was dimly aware of You calling after her, but she couldn’t turn back now. If she even looked, if she even turned to glance at You…

Her resolve would crumble, and she would beg You not to go to Chika.

But Yoshiko _knew_ that You wanted Chika. Not her, but _Chika_. So this was the only way Yoshiko could make sure that You was happy.

Before she knew it, she had ran back home. Ignoring her mother in the living room, she ran straight past and threw herself onto her bed, burying her face into her pillow and letting out an anguished scream.

She thought that telling You would help. But the ache in her chest had only grown worse, and now Yoshiko could barely breathe with how painfully constricted her chest felt.

Her phone buzzed, and she glance down to find that You had messaged her.

_Are you okay?_

_Call me later. We should talk._

And as always, thinking about You didn’t help at all.

Why did she confess to You? Yoshiko groaned into the pillow. She’d let herself be carried away. The date had swelled her ego, and she thought that maybe, _maybe_ , she had a shot.

But of course, You’s heart belonged to Chika. It always had.

She sighed and rolled over, turning off the lights.

Yoshiko didn’t call You that night.

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

_I don’t want to go to school._

It was the first thought that occurred to Yoshiko when she woke up Monday morning. She dragged a hand over her face, and silenced her beeping phone. She had tried her best not to stress out on Sunday, throwing herself into Immortal Legends and getting back into high level play after playing with You for so long. But still, she noticed that You hadn’t logged in for the whole day, and that had her worried anyway, and she basically spent the rest of her weekend upset and distracted.

She was tempted to go back to sleep, but after skipping the week of school at the start of the year, she was already on the radar of her teachers, and she didn’t want to catch any more grief from them. Best to stay on the straight and narrow.

Sighing, she got up, and went through her morning routine of tidying up and packing her bag. When she trudged through the living room, her mother had given her a worried look that Yoshiko pretended to ignore. She didn’t need pity, least of all from her mom.

“I’m going to school,” Yoshiko said, heading straight for the door. Her mother may have said something, but she didn’t pay too much attention. She wasn’t in the mood for another tongue-lashing.

She wanted to get back into Immortal Legends already, but her studious duties demanded her attention first. Walking down the familiar street towards the bus station to Uchiura, the memories of Saturday night flooding back and hitting her _hard._ She winced, trying hard not to think to much about it, though she was obviously failing badly at it.

You had needed her help. The reasonable, sensible thing to have done then was probably to console her, and comfort her. A good friend would have done that. Instead she had dumped more emotional baggage onto You, like some kind of selfish asshole, because Yoshiko was an emotional teenager who couldn’t keep things in her pants for thirty minutes.

By the time Yoshiko got to school and sat down in class, her mood had gone from bad to rock bottom, and she was ready to pack up and leave already. Reaching into the bag, she lifted her laptop out and held it against her chest. The familiar weight of the machine calmed her down a little, and she breathed a little easier while she held it.

“Good morning, freak.”

Ah, there goes the good mood. Yoshiko scowled as something else familiar came into view - the annoying smirk of Sato Aoki. She sat down on the desk in front of Yoshiko, putting a leg up and resting her chin on her knee. She played with a strand of her dyed blonde hair, grinning at Yoshiko.

“So, a friend of mine saw you with Watanabe on Saturday,” She said, examining her nails. Her tone was neutral, approachable even, but Yoshiko knew Aoki was like a coiled snake. One wrong move, and she would be at her throat. “That’s nice. Had a nice little date, did you?”

“It was just a friendly hangout,” Yoshiko said, slowly.

“Oh? I wasn’t aware you had any friends,” Aoki gave Yoshiko a wide, toothy grin. “Sorry, I must’ve been mistaken.”

Yoshiko breathed out slowly, speaking through gritted teeth. “What do you want, Aoki?”

Aoki smiled toothily, and Yoshiko shivered involuntarily, suddenly feeling like a plump rabbit getting eyed up by a fox. She leaned in, and gestured with a finger for Yoshiko to do so as well. After a moment’s hesitation, Yoshiko moved closer to Aoki, though she watched her carefully.

“I heard the date ended in tears and running away,” Aoki murmured. “I wonder what happened there?”

Yoshiko breathed in sharply, and even if she tried to hide it, Aoki must’ve caught it because her smile widened. “It’s none of your business, Aoki.”

“Oh, I’m aware,” Aoki said cheerily. “But I also heard that Watanabe isn’t in school today. I thought, as a _concerned peer_ , that maybe you ought to know.”

Yoshiko glared at Aoki sharply. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Well,” Aoki said, making a show of considering her words, humming under her breath before continuing. “You know that Watanabe has her little fan club… who knows how they’ll react once they’ve heard that their idol went running after speaking to you?”

“I’d watch your back if I were you,” She gave Yoshiko a wink and stood up, sashaying away with a sway in her step. “Just a… _friendly_ warning.”

Yoshiko watched her meander out of the room, waiting for a few minutes just to be safe before bolting up to her feet and running to the second-year classrooms.

Bursting into the classroom, she immediately homed in on You’s friends, Chika and Riko.

“Takami!” Yoshiko said, before stopping sharply. Chika and Riko were holding hands - and the atmosphere about them was unmistakeable. They were a couple, plain and simple. “Oh… was I interrupting?”

Their hands flew apart, and Riko blushed bashfully, though Chika just seemed more amused than anything. “Nah. Sorry, we’re just… um…” She trailed off.

“You’re together,” Yoshiko said, considering the implications of that. “You told me.”

“Oh. Of course, You told you. That makes sense,” Chika blinked, before she nodded at Yoshiko’s explanation. “So… what brings you here? We don’t see you in the second-year classrooms often.”

“Right… have either of you seen You? I heard she’s not in school today,” Yoshiko asked, looking between Chika and Riko.

Chika paused for a moment, glancing questioningly at Riko, who shook her head as well. “Nope. Not after Saturday morning, right before your date,” She stopped, grinning at Yoshiko. “How did that go, by the way?”

“It went… fine,” Yoshiko said, quietly. Shaking her head, she turned and started to head back towards the door. “I should get back. Um, if You shows up…”

“We’ll tell you,” Chika promised, giving her a wave. “Bye, Yoshiko!”

“Bye…” Yoshiko waved back absentmindedly, though she was preoccupied with her thoughts about You’s absence.

Was she okay? Was she sick? Yoshiko fretted worriedly. Maybe You was just taking a sick leave…

But then again, she was fine when she and Yoshiko parted ways. So… it had to be Chika and Riko, right? Maybe You needed some time to think… Yoshiko knew she would need a time out if that had happened to her. It was just unlucky that it had to happen to You, for all people.

 _Unlucky…_ Yoshiko stopped. _Oh, no._

It was her fault, wasn’t it? The misfortune that surrounded her. You had avoided it so far, but it had to get her eventually.

If that was the case… there was no telling what could have happened to You. With dark clouds brewing over her head, she sat back down in her classroom, but she found that she couldn’t pay attention to class at all. She could only think about one thing:

_You… I hope you’re okay…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy don't you love hormonally driven impulse kisses that ruin everything the next morning?
> 
> It's been a fun ride, but this chapter is second-to-last – we're on the finale next time around!
> 
> Thanks for reading, and please look forward to that! I may take a little longer just to make sure it comes out extra perfect, but I promise it'll come out in due time.


	13. Yozora wa Nandemo Shitteru no?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I say it would take long?  
> I meant I would stay up for two nights straight pounding this out because shit, dude, I love these gay girls.

It was couple of days later. You still hadn’t come to school.

Yoshiko sighed, staring out of the window. She could hear Ruby and Hanamaru speaking behind her, trying to be quiet but failing miserably.

“Yoshiko has been out for a while now…” Ruby whispered. “Is she okay?”

“Shh…” Hanamaru shushed Ruby (though she wasn’t that much quieter herself.) “I think it’s because You isn’t at school, zura…”

“Is she going to be okay?”

“…”

Yoshiko saw Hanamaru bite her lip and sidle up beside her. Yoshiko turned around lazily, giving Hanamaru the best smile she could muster up - which was pretty much just a weak grimace. “Hey, Zuramaru.”

“Hey, Yoshiko.” Hanamaru smiled at her, but Yoshiko could tell she was a little worried. “How are you doing?”

The look Hanamaru was giving her spoke volumes. Yoshiko hadn’t told them about how the date actually went, only that they went on a date. But for how oblivious Hanamaru was to modern sensibilities, she did have a sharp intuition and probably already guessed that it didn’t go well.

“I’m…” Yoshiko’s comforting smile faltered momentarily. “I’m fine. Thank you for asking.”

Hanamaru nodded slowly, pulling up a chair beside her. It was lunchtime, so the classroom was mostly empty anyway.

“Want to talk about it?” Hanamaru asked quietly. Of course she didn’t buy it - Hanamaru had a way of seeing through her, even back in the day.

“Not really,” Yoshiko said, looking down at her table.

“Oh,” Hanamaru nodded again, and smiling softly, she reached out and starting patting Yoshiko on the head. “Okay.”

Yoshiko closed her eyes lazily. She thought about pulling away, but there was something soothing about getting her hair stroked like that.

“It’s gonna be okay,” Hanamaru said soothingly. “I’m sure whatever this is, it’ll work out just fine, zura.”

Yoshiko sighed, turning slightly to glance at Hanamaru out of the corner of her eyes. She hesitated, before slowly asking, “…What should I do?”

“Do what, zura?” Hanamaru asked gently.

“Apologize to You,” Yoshiko mumbled. “I think it might be my fault she’s not in school.”

Hanamaru regarded Yoshiko silently, her hand smoothing out her hair carefully and steadily. After a few quiet seconds, she withdrew her hand and moved her chair so she was sitting in front of Yoshiko.

“Why would it be your fault?” Hanamaru asked, tilting her head.

“I’m bad luck,” Yoshiko muttered. “People get hurt around me. I told You to talk to Chika, because I knew You could only be happy if she was with Chika.”

Hanamaru pursed her lips as Yoshiko continued. “And now she’s not in school. I don’t know if it has anything to do with Chika, but—“

“If you say you’re the cause of this, I’m gonna get mad, zura,” Hanamaru said flatly, crossing her arms. Yoshiko looked up, mildly surprised. Hanamaru sighed, and shook her head. “How many times do we have to tell you this, Yoshiko? Bad things happen. You’re not the one to blame, zura.”

She glanced at Ruby, who nodded in agreement. “Right. It’s, um, it’s just the way things line up sometimes.”

Yoshiko grimaced. “But… I mean, I have to be able to do _something_ for her, right? I can’t just sit here.”

Hanamaru looked to Ruby, who returned the knowing glance, before smiling and rubbing the top of Yoshiko’s head, messing up her hair. “Well, I never said that…”

“Huh?” Yoshiko frowned.

“You can go to her,” Hanamaru offered, giving Yoshiko a small smile. “Go talk to her. Even if it’s not your fault, you are still her friend. She’ll appreciate the company, I’m sure.”

Yoshiko started, staring at Hanamaru. Of all the things she’d thought of, simply… going up to You and talking had never occurred to her. She’d assumed that You wouldn’t want to talk to her after she practically forced a kiss onto You that night.

“You… really think she’ll want to talk to me?” Yoshiko asked, her voice just the slightest bit hopeful.

“I do, zura.” Hanamaru smiled at Yoshiko, and tentatively, Yoshiko returned the smile. Maybe she stood a chance after all?

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

The _idea_ was that, after obtaining You’s address from Chika (gladly given) Yoshiko would go to her house after school and check up on her. She was surprised how close Yo lived to her own apartment.

But standing in front of You’s house, glancing at the nameplate emblazoned with the family name WATANABE, Yoshiko was suddenly a lot less sure of herself. Glancing down at her school uniform, she briefly considered heading home and coming back when she was better dressed. Maybe she should have gotten a change of clothes, maybe a prettier dress.

She blinked. This wasn’t romantic or anything, she was just checking up on a friend. She didn’t need to think so hard about it. But still, she looked up at the house, and she felt her stomach flip from nervousness - she wanted to press the doorbell, but at the same time, it was like her legs were paralyzed.

“Hello,” Yoshiko jumped. She looked behind her to find a woman - looking very much like You, with slightly longer salt grey hair and the same blue eyes, but older, more mature. She smiled at Yoshiko. “I don’t recognize you from around here. Are you a friend of You’s?”

“Uh!” Yoshiko swallowed. This was Mrs. Watanabe, presumably. “I’m, uh, her classmate. Yes. My name is, um, Tsushima Yoshiko.”

“Well, Yoshiko,” Mrs. Watanabe stepped up to the door, and fishing out her keys, unlocked it and stepped inside. “You isn’t feeling too well right now, but… I suppose a little company won’t hurt. Come on in. I’ll make you some tea.”

Yoshiko nodded awkwardly, following Mrs. Watanabe into the house, though as she took her shoes off she said, “Um… If it’s alright with you, I’d rather just go and see You… I wouldn’t want to be a bother.”

You’s mother smiled, shaking her head. “No friend of You’s is ever a bother. I need someone to bring her medicine up anyway. Why don’t you just stay put for a moment? I’ll get a platter and you can bring the tea and her medicine up as well.”

“Okay, then,” Yoshiko said, and Mrs. Watanabe quickly headed off, probably into the kitchen.

While she waited, Yoshiko took a moment to look around her. She’s never actually been in anyone else’s house before - she didn’t know anyone well enough in Uchiura, and she definitely wasn’t comfortable going to anyone’s place back in Numazu - but You’s house was surprisingly humble. She’d expected more medals, or a bit more glamor, considering You’s relative fame, but then again, given her down-to-earth personality, Yoshiko should have expected as much.

What the house did have, however, was photos: lining the walls, on the top of shelves, on desks and tables. Many were of You and her family - her mother and her father, who was a large but gentle looking fellow, more often wearing a sailor’s uniform than not. There were a few of You during her swim meets throughout the years, recording her progression from bronze medals to silver to gold.

And - Yoshiko noted with a twinge - many of You and Chika, as well as a taller blue haired girl she didn’t recognize. Yoshiko had to assume she was another one of You’s childhood friends. You was happy in most of them, gleefully hugging Chika, or holding her hand, or hiding behind her sometimes. So few of them had them separated.

It was then that You’s mother came back, with a platter of snacks, tea, and a packet of medicine, as she’d promised. She noticed Yoshiko looking and smiled. “You know Chika, I presume?” Yoshiko nodded. “She’s one of You’s oldest friends, stuck together like two peas in a pod ever since.”

“Right,” Yoshiko said, pushing back the mild pang of jealously in her heart. She took the platter from Mrs. Watanabe. “I’ll, um, I’ll go up now.”

Mrs. Watanabe nodded. “Her room’s the one with the big anchor poster on the door. You can’t miss it.”

After giving Mrs. Watanabe a polite nod, Yoshiko climbed up the stairs to the second floor of the house. Sure enough, there was only one door that had any decoration, and that was the one with the big anchor poster. You sure did like the sea.

Stepping up to the room, Yoshiko balanced the platter in one hand, and gave the door a tentative knock.

There was a cough from inside the room, followed by a raspy, “Come in.”

Casting out whatever doubts she had before, Yoshiko took a deep breath, and pushed the door open.

The first thing she noticed was that it was dim - the lights were off, and the curtains were mostly drawn up, casting the room in a gloomy darkness. You had a big wardrobe to one side of the room, filling up the whole wall. Yoshiko wasn’t too surprised about that, considering her inclinations towards fashion. On the other side of the room was a desk, cluttered with books and sketch pads and loose sheathes of paper. A laptop sat precariously on top of the mess. And finally, next to the glass doors that probably lead to a balcony (currently covered by curtains), was a bed, currently occupied by a sickly looking You.

“Y-Yoshiko?” You stared at her, so surprised that the cool pad slid off her forehead. Yoshiko looked her over - she didn’t look too bad, all things considered. There wasn’t much detail to be seen in the gloom, but aside from looking a little pal,. You didn’t seem too bad off. “What are you doing here?”

The question jolted Yoshiko out of her observations. Thinking quickly, she raised up the platter she held. “Um… I’ve got your medicine…?”

“Oh.” You said, leaning back down and looking away from Yoshiko. “You can leave it on the nightstand.”

So You didn’t want to talk to her after all. Yoshiko tried not to be too disappointed. She’d expected this to be the case. The nightstand You was talking about was cluttered up by random stationery, though, so Yoshiko said, “There’s no space on the nightstand.”

There was a moment where You didn’t respond. “Bring it over, then.” You finally said, tiredly. Yoshiko swallowed, and gingerly padded her way over to the bedside, setting the platter down on the ground next to the bed.

Yoshiko picked up the medicine and cup of water Mrs. Watanabe had provided, and handed it over to You. Sitting up again, You silently put the medicine into her mouth and drained the cup of water, passing it back to Yoshiko.

The whole process was so quiet that Yoshiko could hear You’s clock ticking. You had laid back down and turned over again, with her back to Yoshiko. Yoshiko nervously took the tea that Mrs. Watanabe had gotten her, and sipped at it.

A couple minutes later, the cup was empty, and Yoshiko had no idea what to do, so she picked up the platter, about to head back down stairs. She didn’t have the resolve to try and initiate a conversation with You after all—

“Wait.” You’s voice came from behind her, and Yoshiko stopped, turning around gingerly. You had turned over _again_ , her blue eyes almost seeming to glow in the dim light. “Don’t go.”

Gulping, Yoshiko slowly went back to the bedside again, sitting down on the floor next to the bed so they were roughly eye-level. You watched her do this quietly, and when Yoshiko seemed to have settled down, she took a deep breath, as though preparing herself.

“What are you doing here?” She asked again, this time looking Yoshiko straight in the eyes. “For real, I mean. Why did you come?”

“I, um…” Yoshiko shifted uncomfortably under You’s gaze. “I… I wanted to talk to you.”

You nodded slowly at Yoshiko’s answer. “Okay,” She said hesitantly. “What about?”

Yoshiko gulped again, breaking eye-contact with You. She felt like her gaze was going to pierce straight through her. “How… how are you feeling? Your mother said you were sick…”

You’s eyes flickered slightly. She almost looked… disappointed? “Oh.” She turned to stare at the ceiling. “I’m… fine. It’s just a small cold. I should be fine before the week’s end.”

“That’s… good.” Yoshiko said awkwardly. “Everyone’s worried. Hanamaru and Ruby and…” She bit her tongue before she mentioned Chika and Riko. You seemed to notice, because she breathed in visibly, closing her eyes.

“Did Chika tell you to come?” You asked, quietly. “Is that why you’re here? If you don’t want to talk to me, I understand. You can just… go.”

“Huh?” It took a few seconds for Yoshiko to fully parse what You had said. “No! Chika didn’t… Why would I… I thought _you_ didn’t want to talk to me!”

You stopped, opening her eyes again and staring at Yoshiko. Her expression went from confused to surprised to embarrassed, and she quickly drew the blankets up, covering her face. “Oh my god…”

After a moment, she emerged from under her blankets, avoiding eye-contact with Yoshiko. “And here I was, thinking you wouldn’t want to talk to me after Saturday…”

Yoshiko blinked in confusion. “But… I’m the one who confessed… and k- k- _kissed_ you… I figured you’d hate me for sure.”

“Well I mean,” You swallowed visibly, her mouth suddenly dry. “That was unexpected, and it surprised me, sure, but… I don’t _hate_ you for it.”

Yoshiko exhaled explosively, three day’s worth of anxiety suddenly evaporating. Her whole body relaxed, and she rested her head against the soft bed. “Thank the lord… I thought that, maybe you didn’t like it and maybe that’s why you’re not in school…”

“Oh, god no.” You laughed, and it was such an uplifting sound that it completely blew away the storm clouds haunting Yoshiko’s mind for the past few days. “I was just being an idiot. I went for a nighttime swim, caught a cold, that’s all. It’s not your fault at all, Yoshiko.”

Yoshiko smiled, and for a moment it was like the awkwardness of Saturday never happened, and they were just two friends bantering in a dumb MMO. Then she registered something else in the statement, and nervousness was back. “Wait, um, when you say _no_ , did you mean, no to it’s my fault, or no to you didn’t like it?”

You breathed in slowly, her eyes looking away for a moment. Her hand was playing with the edge of the blanket nervously. “Uh, well, I didn’t think it was _terrible_ or anything…”

She blushed, and covered her face with her hands, saying quietly. “Rather, I’d say it was kind of… um… nice.”

“Oh. Uh… that’s good to hear.”

Yoshiko blushed as well, looking away at anything except for You. She _liked_ it? Not only did she not hate her, but she also _liked_ the kiss? It was more than anything Yoshiko had ever dared to hope for.

“Can I, um… Can I hug you?” Yoshiko asked shyly.

You’s blush intensified, and she hesitated. “I don’t wanna infect you.”

If ever there was a time for bravery, this was it. Yoshiko took a deep breath. “If I’m going to catch a cold from anyone, I’d rather it be you.”

“Holy crap that was sappy,” You said, and Yoshiko groaned in embarrassment at the fact that she _actually_ said that. But then she sat up with some difficulty, and smiling softly at Yoshiko, she spread her arms. “Oh, fine. Come on then.”

Yoshiko _almost_ squealed. _Almost_. But You had her arms out, so Yoshiko indulged herself and sat onto the bed. After a moment’s hesitation, she leaned in, and wrapped her own arms around You, and she felt You close her arms around her as well. You was very warm - probably because of her mild fever, but also just because that was the sort of person You was. Warm and kind, and sunny.

“I’ve wondered what this would feel like,” Yoshiko mumbled, clinging onto You for dear life.

You laughed, patting Yoshiko on the back. “You really do like me, huh.”

“You have no idea,” Yoshiko sighed. “For so long…”

You shook her head, squeezing Yoshiko tight for a moment. “All this time… I’m sorry I never noticed.”

Yoshiko hiccuped. She was apologizing? Why was she apologizing? Why was You such a wonderful person? She felt like she was on the verge of tears.

“It was… so hard to stay quiet.” Yoshiko sniffed into You’s shoulder. Oh, tears. Good, because what she needed was to soak You’s shoulder with her tears. She hoped You didn’t mind “But… but you like Chika… so I couldn’t…”

“I’m sorry,” You said. Yoshiko got the feeling she was smiling sadly, even if she couldn’t see her face. “I’m _so_ sorry.”

Yoshiko shook her head.

“Don’t need… to apologize,” She took a shuddering breath. “I realized… between us… it would never work out. Someone like me…”

You took a deep breath, and giving Yoshiko a gentle tap as a warning, she pulled back, so she could look her in the eyes. “Yoshiko. Yoshiko, listen to me.”

Sniffling and wiping at her eyes, Yoshiko looked at You, her hands balled up into fists. “Y-yes?”

“When we went on that date, on Saturday…” You took another deep breath. “I enjoyed it. I enjoyed _you_. I was happy, when I was with you.”

Yoshiko stared at You.

“What… what are you saying?” Yoshiko asked, breathlessly. “ _You_.”

“I… I think I like you,” You said, and Yoshiko’s heart almost stopped. “I think I like you, a _lot_. Objectively… subjectively… we’re a good match. I really think so.”

“Wait,” Yoshiko said. Her head spun. She felt dizzy. Her mouth was dry and she felt like the words wouldn’t come. “You… like, me.”

“I do,” You admitted, reaching out and stroking Yoshiko’s cheek with a thumb, before pulling away quickly as though stung, or shocked. “But,” You continued, her voice shaking slightly. “But I also like Chika. I’ve liked Chika for years. Seeing her… seeing her and Riko that night… that hurt. _So much._ ”

Yoshiko felt her heart shatter a little at how _broken_ You looked. Her eyes were downcast, eyes red-rimmed, her whole body shaking. Seeing Chika and Riko together was devastating to her. “You…”

“And I don’t know how to… how to _deal_ with that,” You looked at Yoshiko. “I like Chika. I like her so much that it hurts every day knowing she’s with someone else… and knowing I can’t be with her.”

You paused, smiling weakly at Yoshiko. “I suppose you know a thing or two about that.”

“I suppose I do.” Yoshiko smiled back. It was like they were comrade in arms, reveling in their shared pain.

You sighed, taking a few seconds to calm herself.

“My point is… I was just dumped, kind of, by Chika. I guess I knew that a long time ago, I just didn’t want to admit it,” You chuckled, though she returned to seriousness quickly. “You helped me accept it, I guess. But I still like her. I’ve liked her for so long, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to stop liking her.”

“I understand.” Yoshiko nodded. “I get if you can’t… with me…”

“No! No, that’s… that’s not it. Yoshiko, I like Chika but I also like _you_. I’ve told you, I really do like you.”

You breathed in. “I think… I just need some time to think. There’s… a lot going on right now. School, my feelings for you, my feelings for Chika… I just need some time.”

She paused, reaching up and stroking Yoshiko’s cheek again. The touch was electrifying, and Yoshiko felt like she was going to burn up at a moment’s notice. “So… I know this is selfish of me to ask… You’ve held back for so long already… but could you wait just a little longer? Once I’m… normal, again, we’ll talk. I promise.”

Yoshiko couldn’t believe her ears. Her heart was going a million miles an hour, threatening to thump straight through her chest. She felt like she couldn’t breathe. “I’ll wait,” she said, thickly. “I’ll wait as long as you need me to wait.”

A thought came to her, and she reached around to her bag, rifling through it for a moment before fishing out the pendant that the shopkeeper gave her. She had been keeping it on her, just in case. Fidgeting with it nervously for a moment, she held it out to you. “…Here. I got it on Saturday. You should have it.”

You stared at the anchor-shaped pendant, before turning her gaze towards Yoshiko and smiling. “It’s gorgeous.”

“Just like you,” Yoshiko said quickly before she could stop herself. “Shit, I mean…”

You laughed, sitting up a little and brushing away her hair. “It’s okay. Can you put it on for me?”

Yoshiko nodded, and gestured for You to turn around. Undoing the clasp around the back, she gingerly pulled the chain around You’s neck before doing up the clasp and letting go.

“How do I look?” You asked, turning back to smile at Yoshiko.

Yoshiko may have forgotten how to breathe. You looked _dazzling_ , with the light filtering in between the curtains just enough for the crystal pendant to shimmer and sparkle, and You along with it. Her hair was messy, she was sweaty, and her skin was sallow, but she had never looked more beautiful in Yoshiko’s mind.

“Gorgeous.” Yoshiko muttered, staring at her.

You would have said something in response, but she was interrupted by an involuntary yawn. “Ah… that would be the medication.”

“Get some sleep, You. You’ll need it.” Yoshiko smiled, and started to get up, dusting herself off. You needed the sleep, and it was about time she headed home anyway. She didn’t log into Immortal Legends for the day yet…

“Wait,” You said, and this time it was softer, less commanding. Yoshiko stopped, turning back slightly. You had covered up her face with the blanket, but her hand reached out from under the covers, groping for a few moments before finally finding Yoshiko’s hand, interlacing their fingers together.

“…Stay with me?”

Yoshiko hesitated only for the briefest of moments.

“Always,” She murmured, sitting down beside You.

After all, she supposed, Immortal Legends could wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading ‘You tries to pick up girls in MMOs’! I really couldn’t have written so much if it weren’t for the kudos and comments of all my readers, and I seriously can’t thank you enough for supporting me for this long.
> 
> It’s been a long journey, and You and Yoshiko have come a long way from being just strangers in the same school. But their journey together isn’t done yet! This is just the first chapter of their story, and there are a lot of things I haven’t resolved yet. Why is Yoshiko the way she is? What’s the deal with Aoki? Where are all the third years? And most importantly, will You and Yoshiko actually get together?
> 
> These questions (and more) will be answered in the follow up sequel, ‘ **Three is a crowd but nine is a party’** , coming soon! And by soon I mean whenever I recover from burning myself out on this fic.
> 
> Again, thank you _so much_ for reading, and in addition to the sequel, look forward to some other shorter fics I have planned - including a YohaRiko fic and potentially a poly-third-year fic!
> 
> Your faithful (and tired) author,  
> Alene
> 
> (imma go sleep now)


End file.
